Epidemic - GCSE History Definition
Reviewed by: Zoe Wade
Published
In GCSE History, an epidemic is when a disease spreads quickly and affects lots of people in one area. Examples include the Black Death (1348) and the Great Plague (1665), which killed thousands and caused panic and major changes in how people thought about disease and treatment. In the 1800s, cholera spread through dirty water, leading to improvements in public health, like clean water and sewers. More recently, Covid-19 showed how epidemics still affect medicine, government action, and daily life today. Studying epidemics helps students see how diseases have shaped medical progress and changed how societies respond to health crises.
Examiner-written GCSE History revision resources that improve your grades 2x
- Written by expert teachers and examiners
- Aligned to exam specifications
- Everything you need to know, and nothing you don’t

Share this article