On this day: March 11
The 1962–66 Tanganyika Laughing Epidemic: an early documented mass psychogenic illness
Between 1962 and 1966, schoolchildren in what was then Tanganyika experienced waves of uncontrollable laughter and related symptoms across several villages; physicians later classified the phenomenon as a mass psychogenic illness linked to social stress in the postcolonial period.
The 1966 Tanganyika Laughing Epidemic: an early documented mass psychogenic illness
In March 1962 in what was then Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), an outbreak of uncontrollable laughter at a girls’ boarding school spread to nearby communities and lasted months—now cited as an early, well-documented example of mass psychogenic illness.
The First Documented Sleepwalking Murder Trial (1845)
On March 11, 1845, a British coroner's inquest and subsequent trial examined whether a fatal stabbing was committed during sleepwalking—the earliest widely cited legal case to consider automatism as a defense.
The First Documented Case of Dangerous Cosmetic Poisoning, March 11, 1869
On March 11, 1869, the medical and legal records noted one of the earliest documented incidents of serious poisoning caused by cosmetic use—an event that highlighted the risks of unregulated beauty products in the 19th century.
When Cosmetics Turned Deadly: The 1869 Poisoning Linked to Lead White
On March 11 (year uncertain in records), physicians in the 19th century documented a severe case of poisoning linked to lead-based face powder—an early recorded instance highlighting the health risks of common cosmetic ingredients.
The 1845 Sleepwalking Murder Trial: Britain’s First Documented Case
In March 1845 a British coroner’s inquest and subsequent legal proceedings considered whether sleepwalking could exonerate a defendant in a killing—the earliest well-documented British case linking somnambulism to a violent crime.
The Great Blizzard of 1888 Immobilizes the U.S. East Coast
From March 11–14, 1888, a massive nor'easter struck the northeastern United States, dumping up to 50 inches of snow, crippling transportation and communications, and killing hundreds in one of the region’s most devastating winter storms.