may 27, 1347 - Mongol army retreats from Kaffa

Description:

Because the plague wiped out the ranks of their army, the Mongols were forced to give up on their siege and retreat. Before they did this, though, they disposed of their bodies by catapulting them over the walls of Kaffa. There is much debate about whether it was these bodies or the hoards of rats that snuck into Kaffa that caused the infection to enter the city wall's. Many merchants were stuck in the city due to the siege and most caught the infection. Those who didn't immediately catch the plague tried to go back to their home country to escape. Little do they know that their ships were filled with rats carrying infected fleas and they were already too far gone to survive.

Added to timeline:

Date: