Topics in Chronicling America - The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 (Spanish Flu)

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• Spring 1918-Spring 1919: Three waves of highly virulent and fatal influenza sweep the country. The fall-winter wave is the deadliest for the US. The pandemic kills millions and devastates entire communities.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Spanish influenza, Spanish flu, grip, la grippe, plague, epidemic, pandemic, Pfeiffer’s bacillus (“Pfelffer’s bacillus” will also reveal results)
• It is important to use a specific date range if looking for articles for a particular event in order to narrow your results. The range 1918 through 1920 will yield the best results.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Epidemic of Grip and Pneumonia," The Ogden Standard (Ogden City, UT), May 8, 1918, 3:30 P.M. City Edition, Page 4, Image 4, col. 1.
• "Camp Dodge Leads in Health," The Tomahawk (White Earth, Becker County, MN), June 27, 1918, Page 2, Image 2, col. 3.
• "Today: the Kaiser is Ill," The Washington Times (Washington, DC), July 11, 1918, Final Edition, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Phipps Institute Identifies Germ of Spanish Grip," Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA), September 20, 1918, Night Extra Closing Stock Prices, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Influenza Claims Victim in Capital," The Washington Times (Washington, DC), September 21, 1918, Final Edition, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2-3.
• "Influenza Will Spread West, Is Belief," El Paso Herald (El Paso, TX), September 27, 1918, Home Edition, Page 1, Image 1, col. 6.
• "Medical Science's Newest Discoveries about the "Spanish Influenza"," The Washington Times (Washington, DC), October 6, 1918, National Edition, The American Weekly Section, Page 22, Image 22, col. 1-6.
• ""Spanish Influenza," "Three-Day-Fever," and "The Flu"," The Cococino Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), October 11, 1918, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Uncle Sam's Advice on the Flu," Nassau County Leader (Ferdinanda, FL), October 18, 1918, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-3.
• "Influenza Still Holds Sway Here," The Evening Herald (Klamath Falls, OR), November 7, 1918, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Quarantine is Lifted," Pullman Herald (Pullman, WA), November 15, 1918, Page 1, Image 1, cil 2.
• "Influenza and the Mask," The Logan Republican (Logan, UT), December 21, 1918, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3-4.
• "Spanish Influenza," The Ogden Standard (Ogden City, UT), February 9, 1920, Last Edition--4 pm, Page 9, Image 9, col. 5-7.