1315

Most historians tallying down the worst moments in human history may have overlooked 1315 because it was not a global event, but for everyone living in Europe, it was truly one of the worst times to be alive. It was the start of what was possibly the biggest famine in European history in terms of population affected, driven by torrential, almost biblical rains and floods across the continent that severely hampered food production and transportation. It was exacerbated by the continent's recent population growth, as output levels were already falling well short of what was required to feed the amount of people who relied primarily on farming for survival.

While the famine affected most of Europe, the harshest consequences were felt in what is today the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. While estimates differ, records indicate that the famine directly affected anywhere from 10% to 25% of the continent's population. The famine also brought isolated-yet-devastating outbreaks of diseases to rural areas, with 10% - 15% of the population succumbing to diseases caused by extreme starvation and frailty, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. While nothing compared to the devastation inflicted by the Black Death only 30 years later - which people will (obviously) discuss shortly - it was nonetheless one of the biggest population declines in European history, making the 1400s an extremely bad century for its inhabitants.