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A short history of April Fools -

The annual tradition marking April 1 as the universal day of pranks and tomfoolery is probably far more ancient than most would expect. Most experts agree that the idea of an "April Fool" dates all the way back to the inception of the Gregorian calendar near the end of the 16th century. Before the days of Pope Gregory XIII, most of the West followed the Julian calendar, which placed the beginning of the new year on, you guessed it, April 1. After the introduction of the Gregorian calendar that we use to this day, the new year was moved to January 1. Anyone who didn't get the memo and still tried to ring in the new year on the first day of April, well, they were mocked as a fool! And, with that, centuries of pranking commenced.

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BBC and the Spaghetti Special -

Everyone from individuals to massive corporations take part in April Fool's fun. The UK's BBC duped viewers in 1957, when they introduced their audience to the colorful world of spaghetti tree harvesting.

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BBC and the Spaghetti Special -

In what is now known as the Spaghetti Special, BBC reporters interviewed 'experts' in the area of Ticino, on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Footage of harvesters serenely pulling strings of spaghetti off of tree branches was accompanied by commentary explaining how the near-extinction of the dreaded "spaghetti weevil" insect had contributed to an exceptionally bountiful spaghetti harvest season.

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Taco Bell buys the Liberty Bell -

In 1996, trusted American publications such as The New York Times ran full-page advertisements on April 1, informing their readership that fast food chain Taco Bell had bought one of the nation's most cherished symbols of freedom: the Liberty Bell.

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Taco Bell buys the Liberty Bell -

And with that, the newly renamed "Taco Liberty Bell" was introduced to the world. The official statement from Taco Bell said that they purchased the bell from the government in order to help assuage the national debt. The prank even fooled a number of US senators, who reached out to the food chain for confirmation.

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Alabama changes Pi -

Maybe mathematics and politics don't overlap as often as they should, but in the case of this 1998 prank, the consensus was that they never should have crossed paths.

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Alabama changes Pi -

When the April edition of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason journal hit the shelves, number aficionados nationwide were horrified to learn that the government of Alabama had, apparently, legally changed the value of Pi. According to the journal, the notoriously Christian-influenced legislature changed the value to a clean 3.0, in accordance with the concept of the holy mathematical constant, based on an ancient Hebrew text that implies that "π equals three." Thankfully, it was just a hoax, and Pi remains as gleefully complex and non-repetitive as ever.

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Sweden's magical color TVs -

Color televisions were still a luxury during the 1960s, creating the perfect premise for Sweden's Sveriges Television's 1966 April Fool's joke.

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Sweden's magical color TVs -

During their April 1, 1966 broadcast, Sveriges Television shared with Sweden the cheap and miraculous method that would allegedly turn their drab black and white TV screens into vibrant color TVs. All they had to do, according to "technical expert" Kjell Stensson, was stretch nylon stockings tightly across the screen. If they did this, promised Stensson, the stockings would bend the light waves coming from the screen, transforming them into color. One can only imagine how many pairs of stockings were ruined that fateful day in Sweden.

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Icebergs in Australia -

In the days or weeks heading up to April Fool's Day 1978, Australian business mogul Richard Smith announced that he had successfully wrangled a nearby iceberg with his boat, and was set to pull it into Sydney's harbor in a number of days.

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Icebergs in Australia -

On April 1, Smith arrived in Sydney toting, as promised, what looked like a massive iceberg. It wasn't just the public who had been fooled; the Australian Navy even offered Smith assistance in dragging in the monstrosity, which ended up being nothing more than a shipping barge covered in plastic tarps, foam, and shaving cream.

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Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect -

The ever-trustworthy BBC duped viewers again in 1976, when one Patrick Moore, an amateur astronomer, appeared on the air to tell viewers and listeners that on April 1, at exactly 9:47 am, Jupiter and Pluto would align in such a way that zero-gravity would be achievable for one fleeting, glorious moment.

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Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect -

Of course, Moore's prediction didn't come to pass, but that didn't stop widespread confirmation bias from running its course. The BBC received numerous calls from citizens claiming that, while they might not have levitated, they definitely felt lighter than usual just around 9:47 am.

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The return of Nixon -

Richard Nixon was, arguably, one of the most disgraced presidents in history. The Watergate scandal that led to his resignation in 1974 left an indelible stain on his career, and all but guaranteed Nixon wouldn't dare run for presidential office again. Or would he?

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The return of Nixon -

On April 1, 1992, NPR's 'Talk of the Nation' radio show hosted Rich Little, a Richard Nixon impersonator who did his job very well. Posing as Nixon, Little announced to the country that he "never did anything wrong," but if he had, he would "never do it again." NPR's phones were flooded with angry calls of protest, but they waited until the second half of the segment to tell listeners that it was all a cruel joke.

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The fall of Wisconsin -

Even in 1933, April Fool's jokes were alive and well. Local Madison, Wisconsin newspaper The Capital Times printed a harrowing story in their morning edition of April 1, 1933, telling readers that the Capitol Dome in Madison had been destroyed by a "series of mighty blasts."

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The fall of Wisconsin -

The publication even had the foresight to doctor a photograph (not pictured) of Madison's Capitol Building to make it appear as though it were in ruins. In those days, long before the internet, the hoax spread like wildfire, until The Capital Times relieved their trusting readers of the lie.

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Big Ben goes digital -

Given their successful track record of duping the public in the past, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the BBC took a third crack at April Fool's. In 1980, the BBC announced that one of London's most famous landmarks, Big Ben, was about to undergo some serious cosmetic changes.

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Big Ben goes digital -

Not only did the BBC claim that the famous clocktower was going to be converted into a digital installation space, they even promised that the hands of the clock would be given away for free to the first caller. Predictably, this led to the BBC phone lines becoming congested for weeks by callers wanting to either get their hands on the priceless memorabilia, or express their rage towards the imminent destruction of the landmark.

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The legend of Sidd Finch -

In 1985, the immensely popular American magazine Sports Illustrated published an article on April 1 detailing the life and talent of baseball's saving grace: a rookie named Sidd Finch.

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The legend of Sidd Finch -

According to the article, Finch was a mysterious young man born in England who had mastered yoga in Tibet and was currently training with the New York Mets. Thanks to his strict yoga regiment, the article claimed that Finch could throw a 168 mph (270 km/h) fastball without breaking a sweat. Mets fans everywhere were no doubt disappointed to learn that Sidd Finch never existed, and would never pitch for their team.

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Tower of London's lion wash -

Way back in 1856, long before the BBC was founded and became the king of English April Fool's pranks, someone allegedly named Herbert de Grassen sent out handwritten, wax-stamped invitations to a number of lucky citizens, inviting them to the annual "washing of the lions" at the Tower of London.

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Tower of London's lion wash -

Back in the 19th century, there were actual live lions kept in captivity within the Tower of London. Naturally, it was perceived as a great honor to be invited to wash them. Dozens, possibly hundreds, of Londoners flocked to the tower gates for the opportunity of a lifetime. Much to their chagrin, however, no washing of the lions occurred.

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King for a day in the time of Constantine -

The great April Fool's joke of 1983 didn't deal with the 20th century, but traveled through time to rewrite the history of the 4th century, during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great.

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King for a day in the time of Constantine -

The mastermind behind the prank was a professor at Boston University who presented compelling 'evidence' to the press that suggested that the legendary emperor once allowed one of his court jesters to sit as ruler of the Roman Empire for a full day. The claim caused a riotous uproar amongst historians, and it didn't take long before the hoax was revealed.

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The Masked Marauders -

Rolling Stone magazine, one of the leaders of music journalism, played a cruel joke on its readers in 1969. The publication ran a review of a non-existent album by a supergroup called The Masked Marauders, consisting of some of the 20th-century's biggest stars: Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney.

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The Masked Marauders -

Such a lineup of rock and roll titans spurred explosive excitement across the United States and beyond. These music legends, of course, had never recorded an album together, but that didn't stop Warner Bros. Records from hiring an unknown band to record a decidedly terrible record emulating the styles of Dylan and co.

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The Virgin Airlines UFO -

Virgin Group founder and billionaire Richard Branson has reentered the collective memory thanks to his 2021 journey into space, but some 40 years ago he captured the public's attention with an equally stellar, though less genuine, stunt.

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The Virgin Airlines UFO -

On March 31, 1989, denizens of Surrey, England, spotted the impossible: a flying saucer, clear as day. Law enforcement units were sent to the crash site, surely to simply debunk the claims immediately, but they were shocked to actually find what looked like an alien spaceship. A humanoid creature covered in silver walked out of the saucer, surely scaring the officers out of their wits. Behind this mysterious figure came Richard Branson, probably smiling from ear to ear, proud to have pulled off such an elaborate prank.

Sources: (History) (Newsweek)

See also: History's most notorious lies, hoaxes, and deceptions

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