Eh, "recorded history" is totally the wrong phrase.
When we say "recorded history" we don't mean "the window of time in which we have detailed records up to our modern standards", we specifically mean "the window of time in which we have records of any sort", contrasted with "prehistory".
The phrase they were looking for is "largest on record" or even better "largest since 195X".
> For broader world history, recorded history begins with the accounts of the ancient world around the 4th millennium BCE, and it coincides with the invention of writing.
EDIT: Downvote away, but I'd be interested to hear from someone who believes that "recorded history" is not incorrect and confusing usage here, with an explanation rather than a drive by vote.
Additionally, from the article:
> the CDC started monitoring TB in the US in the 1950s.