London Gazette Plague Report. 1666 All prints are produced on handmade paper which resembles the look, feel and weight of paper available during the historical period in which the art has been inspired from. The Great Plague (1665-1666), was the last outbreak of bubonic plague caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium in Britain, killing an estimated 100,000 people, or almost 25% of London's population. During the winter of 1664, a bright comet was seen in the sky and the people of London were fearful, wondering what evil event it portended, it was also noted that the worst year of the plague coincided with the revelatory biblical year of 1666. The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, the Gazette claims to be the oldest surviving English newspaper and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the UK, having been first published on 7 November 1665 as The Oxford Gazette.