Learn about some of the most famous and outrageous practical jokes on April Fools’ Day.
One day longer April Fool A treat for pranksters around the world, they are given a free annual pass to play practical jokes.
So the unofficial holiday, which falls on April 1 every year, is one of the strangest holidays on the calendar.
The day often involves everything from spontaneous pranks to more elaborate shenanigans, all with varying degrees of success.
So, with the 1st of April upon us, read on to learn about some of the most popular practical jokes and outrageous jokes of the day April Fool.
The strangest April Fools’ Day pranks in history
Rob Weiner, a popular culture librarian at Texas Tech University, believes there has been a long tradition of April Fool’s pranks over the centuries, although some of these pranks have backfired disastrously.
“Some common early jokes included stringing shows together, chasing wild geese, putting kick-me signs on people’s backs, and pinning paper fish on friends without them knowing,” he told Newsweek.
1. The Tower of London is washed black
The Tower of London will “wash away the black.” This announcement came on April Fool’s Day in the year 1698, prompting dozens of people to show up on April 1 to witness the spectacle that never happened.
2. King Constantine’s one-day joke
In 1983, she came April Fool From a Boston University professor who convinced the press this year that Emperor Constantine, when he ruled the Roman Empire, allowed a group of clowns to make one of their own king for a day.
3. Spaghetti Tree
Weiner added: “Perhaps the most famous was the BBC’s 1957 Panorama programme, which showed a Swiss family harvesting spaghetti from the ‘spaghetti tree’.
4. John Partridge’s death hoax
“The satirist Jonathan Swift predicted the death of one of his rivals, John Partridge, whom Swift considered a fraud (for publishing false information in almanacs),” Weiner said.
“Swift published notice of Partridge’s death on March 29, 1708. Partridge announced that he was alive, but the public did not believe it until they saw Partridge alive.”
5. Taco Bell’s Liberty Bell prank
“In 1996, Taco Bell announced that it had purchased the Liberty Bell to help pay off the U.S. national debt.
6. Big Ben in London
“The year 1980 saw the BBC announce that the clock in London’s iconic Elizabeth Tower, known as Big Ben, would become digital.
7. Nixon runs for president (again)
In 1992, the American channel NPR published an advertisement saying that former President Richard Nixon would run again for president.
8. Flying penguins
The BBC also published in 2008, a report withinApril Fool’s DayAbout flying penguins.
9. “Welcome to Chicago”
“Welcome to Chicago,” this sign greeted airline passengers arriving in Los Angeles after landing on April 1, 1992, CBS Sunday Morning previously reported.
10. “Taco Liberty Bell”
In 1996, Taco Bell bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell,” which is also one of the most popular April Fools’ Day pranks.
