[[Category:th century| *]] [[Category:s| *]] [[Category:th century decades]] In 1665, the first cases of what would become known as the Great Plague of London appeared on the city's outskirts. The disease became more widespread and fatal the following year, after a deadlier strain of the bacterium Yersinia pestis was engineered by a group of escaped Terileptil criminals. It killed an estimated 100,000 people. As a precaution against the spreading plague, King Charles II ordered the theatres closed. This put actor Richard Mace out of work, causing him to become a highwayman. (TV: The Visitation)