Joan Rivers -- who made the world laugh for over 50 years with her jokes, put-downs and one-liners -- has died in NYC ... a week after her heart suddenly stopped beating during vocal cord surgery. She was 81.
Joan's daughter Melissa Rivers took her mom off life support so she could pass comfortably in a private room.
Rivers is widely credited for opening doors for countless female comedians. She broke through in a big way during her appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.
