Five Epic April Fools' Day Pranks in History That Had Everyone Fooled
Updated: Sep 8
Bonus: Top April 3 Fools' Day Horror Movies To Watch
April Fools' Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide, where people play practical jokes with each other and spread hoaxes and fake news stories. Over the years, some April Fools' Day pranks have become legendary, fooling large numbers of people and even making headlines in the news.
This blog post will examine five of history's most notable April Fools' Day hoaxes, from the BBC's infamous spaghetti tree prank to the fictional island nation of San Serriffe. These pranks show how a cleverly crafted story with enough detail and authority can fool even the most skeptical individuals and capture the public imagination.
So, without further ado, let's explore the top five April Fools' Day hoaxes that have fooled and amused people over the years.
1. The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
In 1957, the BBC broadcasted a three-minute segment on its current affairs program Panorama, which claimed that Swiss farmers were experiencing a bumper spaghetti crop due to a mild winter and the elimination of the spaghetti weevil. The report showed footage of Swiss peasants plucking strands of spaghetti from trees. The presenter, Richard Dimbleby, explained how the pasta strands grew to their full length after being nurtured by the warm Mediterranean sun. Many viewers believed the report accurate, and some even contacted the BBC to ask how they could grow their spaghetti trees.
2. The Left-Handed Whopper
In 1998, Burger King advertised in USA Today, announcing the release of a new burger designed explicitly for left-handed customers. The "Left-Handed Whopper" would have all the same ingredients as the regular Whopper, but they would be rotated 180 degrees to accommodate left-handed people. Many customers went to Burger King and ordered the new burger, unaware it was an April Fool's Day joke.
3. The Great Space Hoax
In 1959, a student at MIT named Owen Maynard published a hoax article in the student newspaper, The Tech, claiming that a UFO had landed on the roof of the university's science building. The report was so convincing that other newspapers and wire services picked it up and sparked media attention. Maynard later revealed that it was an April Fool's Day prank, but the incident demonstrated how a fake news story could quickly spread and become widely believed.
4. San Serriffe
In 1977, the British newspaper The Guardian published a seven-page travel supplement on the fictional island nation of San Serriffe. The supplement included articles about the country's geography, history, ad culture, and advertisements for local businesses. The elaborate hoax fooled many readers, and they even contacted the paper for more information about the supposed island nation.
5. The Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe
In 1974, Sitka, Alaska, residents woke up on April 1 to see smoke billowing from the long-dormant Mount Edgecumbe volcano. Concerned citizens contacted the authorities, who flew over the volcano to investigate. It turned out that a local prankster named Porky Bickar had flown hundreds of old tires into the crater and lit them on fire, creating the illusion of an erupting volcano. The prank was later revealed and became a local legend.
Bonus: Top April 3 Fools' Day Horror Movies To Watch
Here are some Horror Movies related to April Fools' Day that you can watch with your loved ones and have some fun with.
1. April Fool's Day (1986) - A group of college friends gathers on a remote island for a weekend getaway, only to become the target of a prankster who starts to murder them individually.
2. Killer Party (1986) - Three sorority sisters throw a party on April Fool's Day, only to find that they are being targeted by a serial killer playing deadly pranks.
3. Slaughter High (1986) - A group of former high school students reunites on April Fool's Day, only to find themselves trapped and hunted by a masked killer.
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