Louisiana School Twitching Epidemic (1939)

In the spring of 1939, a Louisiana school witnessed a widespread twitching epidemic among its female students, starting with one girl's uncontrollable leg twitch during the annual homecoming dance. The phenomenon escalated, affecting more students and prompting frantic reactions from parents, leading to a chaotic stampede. Investigation suggested that the twitching was a result of attention-seeking behavior by a lovelorn girl named Helen, who, subconsciously, found a way to excuse herself from dance classes and address her insecurities about her dancing skills.