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- Our World in Data
- Pandemics through history
Pandemics through history
Our World in Data's timeline drew 39.2K views on X: 1.4x its typical post and #59 of 139 Our World in Data charts we track by views. Read Oct 10, 2026.
What were the death tolls from pandemics in history?
Why it spread
It spread because a trusted data journalism account posted a self explaining timeline of pandemic death tolls that earned 359 likes, 98 reposts, 6 quotes, 131 saves flat and 39,184 views, with a below average quote rate and reach in the top quarter.
What worked
- The post text asks a direct question about death tolls from pandemics in history, which makes the timeline easy to understand without extra context.
- The chart is a timeline with high self labelling and a visible source line, so viewers can read it quickly and trust where the numbers came from.
- It came from an independent author on a branded account, and the topic is broad enough to travel beyond a specialist audience.
What to borrow
We could use the same form by turning our own historical or cumulative data into a simple timeline with clear labels and wipe on screen source line, then frame the post as a plain question.
Careful
Do not over read the low unusual form or medium design polish as the reason it worked, and do not assume the same numbers will repeat for our account since the account typical likes and times the account normal are not given.
Written by our analysis model from the measured numbers above, not by Our World in Data.
Make it yours
We have not read this chart's numbers yet
Its own maker appears here once its numbers are read. Until then, these are other real charts in a similar format: each data page starts from that chart's numbers and takes yours.
API · Max
Use this chart via API
On the Max plan you can pull this chart's numbers with the provenance of each one, as JSON or CSV, with its redraw spec, or call it from an agent over MCP. Chart id 1841cae5d7e3.
| Path | Returns | Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/v1/charts/1841cae5d7e3 | Title, publisher, date, form, point count; with a Max key, the data link | Open |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/1841cae5d7e3/data | Every point with its provenance and confidence, plus the redraw spec. Add ?format=csv for CSV | Max |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/1841cae5d7e3/render?view=1 | The draw-only view this page uses | Open |
| POST | /mcp | Tool get_chart_data with this id, for Claude, Cursor and other agents | Max |
curl -s https://viral-chart.com/api/v1/charts/1841cae5d7e3/data \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"claude mcp add --transport http viralchart https://viral-chart.com/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"60 requests a minute per key; over that you get 429 with Retry-After. Up to 5 keys per account, made on your account page and shown once. Without Max, the data route answers 402 with a link to the plans. The numbers describe a chart its publisher owns, and every file carries a license note.
More from Our World in Data
All 139
Other giants using a timeline
All 3
Questions people ask
How far did Our World in Data's "Pandemics through history" chart travel?
39,184 views, 359 likes, 98 reposts and 131 saves on X, read Oct 10, 2026. A normal post from @OurWorldInData gets about 28.6K views.
What kind of chart is it?
A timeline. Timeline of pandemics with estimated death tolls.
Can I use Our World in Data's chart?
Use the format, not the picture. The chart, logo and design belong to Our World in Data. ViralChart redraws the chart type with your numbers and words, and credits the original publisher.