According to Reader’s Digest, there are many theories about the origins of April Fools’ Day. Some Historians believe the holiday dates back to 1582, when France switched to the Gregorian calendar. This change moved New Year’s Day from the Spring Equinox, near April 1, to January 1. News traveled slowly in those days, so people who continued celebrating the new year on April 1 became the target of pranks.
Reader's Digest is no joke, they just celebrated their 102 year anniversary a few days ago on March 27! These stories from their website highlight the benefit of taking a moment to consider your next step after hearing an outrageous claim this April 1st — and reinforce the importance of carefully planning any pranks you have up your sleeve:
- April 1, 1980, a Massachusetts news station reported that a nearby hill had begun to spew lava and flames. The end of the broadcast said “April Fools,” but that didn’t stop hundreds of area residents from calling emergency services. The news producer in charge of the telecast was fired for his actions, which violated FCC regulations.
- April 1, 1992, a man claiming to be Richard Nixon declared he was running for president again. Outrage and protest plans ensued before it became clear that the man was not Richard Nixon.
- April 1, 1998, Burger King announced it would now offer a version of the Whopper that had been carefully designed for left-handed folks. The joke was on Burger King, however, when stores across the country were flooded with orders for the left-handed Whopper.
- April 1, 2001, a DJ in England decided to prank his listeners on April 1 by broadcasting that a ship that looked suspiciously like the Titanic could be seen from the cliffs at Beachy Head in East Sussex. Hundreds of listeners believed him, trekking to the cliffs to catch a glimpse. Unfortunately, all the foot traffic caused a large crack in the cliff face, and a few days later, it fell into the sea.
- April 1, 2013, Susan Tammy Hudson of Kingsport, Tennessee, called her sister on April 1 and said, “I shot my husband. I’m cleaning up the mess—let’s go bury him in Blackwater.” This was a prank gone wrong because though Hudson may have thought she was being funny, no one else did—and soon the police showed up. No charges were pressed after Hudson’s husband arrived home alive and well.
- April 1, 2016, Google added a joke “Mic Drop” feature to Gmail in celebration of the holiday, which sent a GIF of a “Despicable Me” character dropping a mic. The only problem? This temporary feature was placed right beside the send button, causing people to accidentally send the Mic Drop gif during serious conversations or business interactions. Yikes!
Warmly,
Chandler Jensen