Calling all gigglers, cacklers, chortlers, and belly laughers, this is the day you’ve been waiting for. National Let’s Laugh Day is a 24-hour joke-fest on March 19 where we celebrate the uniting force of laughter. Brought to you this year by Laffy Taffy — the candy that has been bringing you and your family little bites of joy with jokes on every wrapper since 1971 — Let’s Laugh Day is a chance to have a chuckle with the ones you love (rubber chicken not required).
National Let's Laugh Day timeline
- 1971
Laffy Taffy is Created
Originally Beich's Caramels, these fun and fruity confections were renamed Laffy Taffy and sold under the Wonka brand. Each piece has a joke on the wrapper making it officially the funniest candy in the world.
- The 1950s
The Laugh Track Invented
Charles Douglass, a sound engineer, invented the laugh track. It became a standard in mainstream television. Most prime-time sitcoms used it from the late 1950s to the late 1970s.
- The 1930s and 40s
The Art of Standup Comedy Takes Off
Standup became a regular form of entertainment in the “Borscht Belt”: a chain of summer resort towns in the Catskill Mountains of the Hudson valley in New York. This gave Henny Youngman an opportunity to say, “Take my wife… PLEASE!”
- 446 B.C.
Aristophanes is born
Yes, THAT Aristophanes. While there's nothing funnier than ancient Greek playwrights, Aristophanes was apparently quite the crack up. His brand of comedy included political satire and innuendo that would make Judd Apatow blush.
National Let's Laugh Day Activities
Grab some Laffy Taffy
With a joke on every wrapper, Laffy Taffy has more jokes than a comedy show. Pick up a bag and keep your family (and yourself) in stitches for hours.
Go to a comedy club
Like plumbing or dental work, comedy can often be thoroughly enjoyed coming from a professional. But that doesn't mean you should avoid the open mic nights. Even a bad joke can be funny.
Watch some of the best comedies of all time
Hop on that streaming service and take a deep dive down comedy lane. With thousands of titles to choose from, there's a comedy for everyone. Even some of the older ones hold up.
Why We Love National Let's Laugh Day
Do you even know anyone who DOESN’T laugh?
77% of Americans think they are funny, and 96% of Americans like to make other people laugh. We all like to laugh, at ourselves, and at each other. 55% of Americans even laugh when they are alone.
Laughter is the best medicine
Studies have shown that laugher is a stress reliever and a whopping 95% of Americans agree saying it relieves their stress. The unique brain chemistry that comes from laughter can also boost your immune system
There are so many types of laughter
There are almost as many types of laughter as there are things to laugh at. At 30%, the most common laugh in the U.S. is the giggle. But at National Today, we're howlers all the way.
Also on Wed Mar 19, 2025...
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