The real cases of people who died from laughing

"Dying of laughter" is usually a figure of speech. But sometimes it's a coroner's report.

Death from laughter is a rare but documented phenomenon, typically caused by cardiac arrest or asphyxiation triggered by prolonged, uncontrollable laughter. Cases have been recorded from ancient Greece through to the present day.

The Greek Stoic philosopher Chrysippus reportedly died in the 3rd century BC after watching a donkey eat his figs. He told a slave to give the donkey wine to wash them down, then laughed so hard he died. In 1410, King Martin of Aragon allegedly died from a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughter. 10

More recently, in 1975, Alex Mitchell of King's Lynn, England, died while watching an episode of The Goodies. He laughed continuously for 25 minutes, then slump