The relationship between stressful life events and subsequent mortality and morbidity were determined prospectively over 6 years for 12,866 men participating in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). Aslo evaluated was the impact of life events on cardiovascular outcomes for persons exhibiting and not exhibiting coronary prone (Type A) behavior. Subjects completed life events checklists at baseline and each of five annual visits. Participants were also administered the Jenkins Activity Survey measure of Type A behavior at baseline and a subsample of 3110 participants was categorized as to behavior type based on the structured interview assessment method. Cox proportional hazard analyses indicated that number of life events experienced during each of 6 years of follow-up was unrelated to risk in the subsequent year of CHD death or fatal plus nonfatal MI and was inversely related to total mortality. The impact of life events on cardiovascular risk did not differ by behavior type category.