The Laughing Epidemic of Tanzania

Everybody loves laughing, but what if you couldn't STOP laughing? In 1962, residents of Tanganyika, Tanzania, experienced a "laughter epidemic." It began with a joke at a boarding school that got a group of students laughing. The laughter spread throughout the entire student body and completely overtook the school, forcing a shut down. The laughter then spread throughout the community, and even through neighboring towns. In all, it lasted more than six months.