Did people who caught smallpox always die?

No, not all people who caught smallpox died. While smallpox was a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate, not everyone who contracted it succumbed to it. For instance, there is evidence to suggest that around one-third of people who caught smallpox survived the infection and developed immunity to it. Some people might have even experienced milder forms of the disease, known as varioloid smallpox.