Did any famous people get yellow fever?
Yellow fever has historically affected numerous prominent individuals, including:- George Washington: The first President of the United States was believed to have contracted and survived yellow fever during an outbreak in 1793, which also claimed the lives of thousands in Philadelphia.
- Napoleon Bonaparte: The French emperor was exposed to yellow fever during his 1798 Egyptian campaign. While he managed to recover, thousands of his troops succumbed to the disease.
- Henry Clay: The American politician and orator suffered from yellow fever several times during his life, including a near-fatal bout in 1825.
- Jefferson Davis: The president of the Confederate States of America contracted yellow fever in 1850, leading to his resignation from the U.S. Senate.
- Frederick Douglass: The renowned African American orator and abolitionist survived severe bouts of yellow fever on two occasions.
- Andrew Johnson: The 17th President of the United States contracted yellow fever in 1843 and was critically ill for several weeks before recovering.
- John C. Calhoun: The prominent U.S. senator and vice president experienced several severe bouts of yellow fever throughout his life.
- William Henry Harrison: The ninth President of the United States died of complications related to yellow fever shortly after taking office in 1841.
- Ulysses S. Grant: The 18th President of the United States was exposed to yellow fever while serving in the Mexican-American War, but he managed to survive the infection.
- Theodore Roosevelt: The 26th President of the United States contracted yellow fever during the Spanish-American War in 1898. While he eventually recovered, the disease had a lasting impact on his health.