April Fool’s Day is recognized around the world as a day of laughter, jokes, and pranks. It is a great day to pull off tricks on family members, friends, and colleagues all in the spirit of fun and amusement.
Throughout the years, there have been countless pranks pulled on this day and some are still memorable today. From the 1957 Swiss spaghetti harvest to companies like Google actively creating hoaxes in recent times, there are many historical pranks you have probably never heard of.
The Origin of April Fools’ Day
Over the years, many theories have attempted to explain the emergence of April Fool’s Day as no one really knows how it began. However, several popular explanations point to its roots in Europe during the 16th century.
- The Calendar Change Theory
According to the first theory, April Fool’s Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. It was decreed that the new year would begin on January 1st instead of March 25th.
However, some people continued to celebrate the new year on March 25th, leading to confusion and mockery of those who clung to the old tradition. They were soon labeled “April fools,” becoming the targets of playful pranks.
- The Hilaria Connection
Another theory links April Fools’ Day to the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, celebrated around the end of March. During this festival, people would dress up in disguises and imitate others while they commemorate the resurrection of the god Attis.
Some historians have also termed the medieval celebration as the Feast of Fools where a mock bishop or pope was elected, and traditional church customs were parodied in a playful and irreverent manner.
Whatever its history may be, we can not deny that April Fools’ Day has become a global tradition, celebrated worldwide as a day of fun, laughter, and the unexpected.
20 Incredible April Fool’s Day Pranks in History
1. The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
In 1957, the BBC aired a segment on their news program, showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. Many viewers were fooled, as spaghetti was not widely known in the UK at the time. The segment ended with the line, “For those who love this dish, there’s nothing like real, home-grown spaghetti.”
In 1957, the BBC aired a segment on their news program, showcasing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. The segment’s narrator described the process of cultivating spaghetti trees, explaining how they required special care and attention. Many viewers were fooled by the realistic portrayal, as spaghetti was not widely known in the UK at the time. The segment concluded with the line, “For those who love this dish, there’s nothing like real, home-grown spaghetti.” This prank became one of the most famous April Fools’ Day jokes in history.
2. The Left-Handed Whopper
Burger King published a full-page advertisement in USA Today, claiming they had created a new burger made for left-handed customers. They also noted that all the ingredients have been rotated 180 degrees to accommodate their eating style.
The prank generated a significant buzz, with many customers heading to Burger King to try the new burger. However, things turned different when they arrived. They were met with laughter and surprise as they realized it was an April Fools’ Day joke.
3. The Taco Liberty Bell
Taco Bell added a twist to American history in 1996. They took out a full-page ad in six major newspapers including The New York Times and The Washington Post, announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell, one of the most iconic symbols of American independence, and were renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell.”
The Broadcasters explained that the company was going to relocate Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to its California headquarters. They also added that Taco Bell purchased it to help pay the national debt.”
The prank sparked a public outcry, with many citizens expressing their disapproval of the commercialization of the Liberty Bell. To everyone’s surprise, when the office of two US senators called Taco Bell and the National Park Service about the news, they noted that it was an April Fools’ Day prank.
The company later pledged to donate USD 50,000 for the maintenance of Liberty Bell as the hoax had helped drive up the sales by USD 1 million in 24 hours.
4. The Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe
The residents of Sitka, Alaska, woke up to a sight that made them shiver – a plume of smoke rising from Mount Edgecumbe, a long-dormant volcano. This time, the prank was pulled off by a local logger named Porku Bickar who had deposited 70 old tires into the volcano crater using a chartered helicopter. On the deal day in 1974, he set the tyres alight which caused the thick smoke that caused widespread alarm and confusion.
Following this, panicked calls flooded the authorities, fearing an imminent eruption. However, it turned out that the source of the smoke was not molten lava but a clever prank by Bickar.
5. The Flying Penguins
First off, we all know that Penguins don’t fly but how BBC managed to fool a lot of people is still a surprise.
In 2008, BBC aired a documentary claiming that a camera crew had captured footage of penguins flying in the Antarctic for its series “Miracle of Evolution”. The video captured a group of penguins soaring through the sky.
The presenter, Terry Jones explained that rather than huddling together and enduring the Antarctic winter, the penguins flew thousands of miles away into the rainforest of South America which left many in awe.
The BBC later revealed that the video was created using special effects for April Fools’ Day.
6. Glass-bottom AirPlane
Richard Branson fooled a lot of people with his 2013 April Fools prank. Using the concept of the glass bottom boat which gives a view of sealife, he managed to convince them with his introduction of the glass-bottomed plane for Virgin Atlantic.
He posted several fake photos on his blog showing the view from inside and outside of the cabin to completely win them over.
7. The Sydney Iceberg
In 1978, Australian millionaire Dick Smith placed an advertisement in a local newspaper, claiming that an iceberg from Antarctica was being towed to Sydney Harbor. The ad included a picture of the iceberg, its massive size, and jagged peaks leaving no doubt of its authenticity. In addition to this, the reporter explained that the news was aired from the iceberg. The prank quickly gained traction, with many people believing that they would soon be witnessing a natural wonder up close.
Thousands gathered at the harbor, eager to catch a glimpse of the iceberg. However, their hopes were dashed when the iceberg failed to appear. It turned out that the entire event was a clever April Fools’ Day prank orchestrated by Dick Smith. The rainstorm revealed that the displayed picture was a barge covered in white plastic sheets, fire-fighting foam, and shaving cream.
While the prank caused some disappointment, it left others wondering how Smith was able to create a buzz around a fictional event. He would later explain that the prank only cost him $1,450. He added “I just do these things for kicks. It takes the boredom out of everyday work.”
8. The San Serriffe Islands
The Guardian published a seven-page travel supplement about a small country called San Serriffe on April 1, 1977. The supplement included articles about the country’s history, geography, and culture, complete with detailed maps. It portrayed San Serriffe as a semicolon-shaped island nation with a rich history, unique customs, and a distinct identity.
The prank fooled many readers, who were captivated by the detailed descriptions and accounts of San Serriffe. The Guardian eventually revealed that San Serriffe was a fictional place, created by their staff for April Fools’ Day.
The name of the country ‘Sans-Serif” was named after a font while its capital “Bondoni was named after a variety of typefaces.
9. The Google MentalPlex
Goggle’s prank has been on for a very long time and one of their earliest was in 2000 when they introduced a new feature called “MentalPlex,” and claimed that it allowed users to search the web using their minds.
The prank included a series of humorous error messages and instructions to stare at the swirling circle and think about the search query. Of course, it was all a joke, but many users fell for it, trying to search using their thoughts. Is that even possible?
10. The BBC Big Ben Goes Digital
The BBC announced that Big Ben, the famous clock tower in London, would be converted to a digital display. They also added that its hands would be given to the first four callers of the station.
While the announcement sent shockwaves through London, with many expressing outrage and disbelief, others suspected that it was an April Fool’s jest. The latter turned out to be true as BBC revealed that the announcement was just an April Fool’s Day prank, much to the relief of many. The BBC’s reporter Tony Lightley later hinted that only a few people thought it was funny.
11. Richard Nixon for President
The National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” program announced that former President Richard Nixon was running for President again. The prank included interviews with Nixon’s supposed campaign manager, outlining his platform and plans for a second term. Listeners were invited to call in and share their thoughts on Nixon’s candidacy after he declared ” I never did anything wrong and I won’t do it again”
The campaign garnered a range of reactions, from outrage to amusement. To everyone’s surprise, Richard Nixon wasn’t even involved in this prank. It was pulled off by comedian and Nixon impressionist Rich Little and NPR’s John Hockenberry.
12. The BBC’s Smell-O-Vision
BBC aired a segment on April Fool’s Day in 1965 claiming that they had developed a new technology called “Smell-O-Vision,” which allowed viewers to experience scents of various foods through their television screens.
The segment showed a professor explaining the technology adding that a special machine was used to break down scents into their component molecules to aid transmission through the screen. He made the first demonstration by placing coffee and onions into the smell-o-vision machine and asked viewers to report by noon if they could smell anything. To get the best results he instructed that viewers should stand 6 feet away from the set and sniff. Unsurprisingly, it was all a prank.
However, many viewers claimed to have smelled the food in their homes while others added that the onions made them tear up. I guess they just wanted others to also fall for the prank.
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13. The Internet Spring Cleaning
Sometime in 1997, an email was passed across the world announcing that the Internet would be shut down from March 31 to April 2. This was to enable effective cleaning for 24 hours by five powerful Japanese-built multi-lingual internet-crawling robots (Toshiba ML-2274) situated around the world.
It was said that the cleaning would clear out the electronic flotsam and jetsam that had accumulated in the network. As such, it was required that all users should disconnect all devices from the internet. Well, it turned out to be a prank after all.
14. The Color Television Hack
In 1962, Kjell Stenson successfully pranked viewers into believing that their black-and-white TV could also broadcast in color. As a technical expert and one of the presenters on Sweden’s only television channel, thousands of people fell for it.
He explained that they could use household items such as a pair of nylon stockings. He noted that the prismatic effect of light and the Double-Slit interference would bend the light and create color images.
As hinted, many fell for the prank and some confessed to looking around the house for a pair of coloured stockings.
15. Thomas Edison’s Miraculous Machine
Edison has made a lot of inventions and there was no doubt when the New York Graphic came up with the sensational headline ‘Edison invents a machine that will feed the human race!”. According to the writers, the machine was capable of turning dirt into meat and water into wine.
This news soon made waves as several American newspapers made a reprint of the story. However, it turned out to be a fabricated story.
16. The Jovian-Plutonian Effect
Like Edison, Patrick Moore also had authority in his field as an astronomer. As such it was easy for him to pull off a successful prank on April Fool’s Day in 1976. He explained that people would be able to float into the air following a gravitational shift on Earth caused by a rare planetary alignment of Pluto and Jupiter.
On the said date at 9:47 a.m., he instructed the listeners to “Jump now!” for the experience. While it was all a prank a lot of people actually jumped to start floating but that did not happen. Nonetheless, others played along and claimed to have felt the impact of the Jovian-Plutonian effect.
17. The Google Maps Pac-Man
In 2015, Google released a version of Google Maps that allowed users to play the classic arcade game Pac-Man on real-world maps. Users could navigate the streets of their city, avoiding ghosts and collecting pellets. It was a fun and nostalgic prank that delighted many Google Maps users.
18. The YouTube’s Rickroll
On April Fool’s Day in 2008, YouTube redirected all featured videos on its homepage to Rick Astley’s music video for “Never Gonna Give You Up”. Users who clicked on any video were surprised with the catchy ’80s hit.
The prank, known as “Rickrolling,” quickly went viral, as unsuspecting users expecting different videos were instead greeted by Astley’s iconic dance moves and catchy tune. Even though it was a simple prank, it was still able to catch people off guard, leaving them amused and slightly embarrassed. Rickrolling has since become an internet meme, referenced and replicated in various forms.
19. The Google Translate for Animals
In 2010, Google announced a new app for Android phones called “Translate for Animals,”. According to them, the feature could translate animal sounds into human language, breaking down the communication barrier between humans and their animal companions.
The prank included a humorous video demonstrating the technology, showcasing people conversing with common species like cats and dogs using the Translate for Animals app. As for the instructions, it was required that the animal be calm and at ease before recording. Like other pranks, this was also a success until ‘.,
20. The Reddit’s Button
In 2015, social media platform Reddit introduced a button on its homepage that counted down from 60 seconds. Users could only press the button once, and each press reset the countdown.
The button sparked an immediate frenzy, as users strategized, formed alliances, and even created bots to keep the button alive as long as possible.
