The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic

Join Kelli as she goes over the history behind the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic, an event that started with three schoolgirls in late January 1962 and spread to nearby villages. It took roughly 18-24 months for the epidemic to finally stop, and luckily, nobody died. It was determined that this was a case of mass psychogenic illness - the more modern name for "mass hysteria." But how did it start? Why schoolgirls in Tanganyika in early 1962? Let's look to the historical context to get an under...