Editor’s Note 4/2/09: This article, which we posted a few days ago, is from material originally written by Alex Boese of Museum of Hoaxes and titled “The Top 100 April Fool’s Day Hoaxes of All Time.” Thus, this appears to be a non-attributed adaptation by Examiner.com. Apologies to Alex!
Here, also from Alex’s site, is a collection of some of this year’s April Fools Day pranks.
Famous April Fools Day jokes around the world 1919 – 2008
by Kelly Shannon Kelly
Examiner.com
March 26, 2009
The entire world becomes a stage on April Fools Day. Read on for historic practical jokes that have occurred around the globe. Makes you wonder what will happen this year…
Antarctica – Flying Penguins
2008: The BBC announced that camera crews filming near the Antarctic for its series Miracles of Evolution had captured footage of Adélie penguins in the air. A video clip of these flying penguins became one of the most viewed videos on the internet. The narrator explained that how these penguins flew thousands of miles to the rainforests of South America where they spent the winter basking in the tropical sun. A follow-up video explained how the BBC created the special effects of the flying penguins.
Australia – The Sydney Iceberg
1978: In Sydney Harbor, a barge appeared towing a giant iceberg. Dick Smith, a local millionaire businessman, said that he was going to carve the berg into small ice cubes, which he would sell to the public for 10 cents each. These cubes, fresh from the pure waters of Antarctica, were promised to improve the flavor of any drink they cooled. Local radio stations provided excited blow-by-blow coverage of the iceberg slowly making its way into the harbor. The berg”s secret was revealed when it started to rain, and the firefighting foam and shaving cream that it was really made of washed away, uncovering the white plastic sheets beneath. Continue reading “1993: China Declares “April Fool’s Day is Liar’s Day””

April Fools Day is around the corner and since a parade full of San Francisco grown-ups insists on keeping us office dwellers entertained during our lunch hour, I guess it’s only fair to go see what all the fuss is about. 