Buzz
Another April 1st has come and gone, bringing with it a new wave of jokes, tricks, and hoaxes. Over the years, cleverly planned pranks have evolved into effective PR strategies. Businesses recognize that these stunts often go viral, with numerous outlets compiling lists of the best April Fools’ Day antics, not to mention the buzz they generate on social media.
The crucial factor here is “well-executed,” a term that doesn’t apply to all April Fools’ Day attempts. Many are hastily put together, uninspired, repetitive, or simply bad ideas from the start, often resulting in embarrassment for those behind them.
10. The Apocalypse Hoax
In 1940, William Castellini was tuning into a Jack Benny radio show when inspiration struck. The program referenced Orson Welles’s notorious “War of the Worlds” stunt, which had aired two years earlier as a Halloween trick.
Castellini served as a press agent at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. His assignment was to promote a new planetarium lecture titled “How Will the World End?” which coincidentally fell on April 1. Combining the two, he crafted what he believed to be a masterful publicity stunt.
On March 31, Castellini released a statement claiming that the world would end, as verified by astronomers at the Franklin Institute. The event was scheduled for 3:00 PM EST on April 1. The release stressed that this was not a joke and included contact information for further details.
KYW, a local radio station, picked up the story and broadcast the press release. This sparked a flood of calls and letters from terrified citizens, whose fear quickly turned to fury once they realized it was a hoax.
The radio station claimed they were unaware of the prank and shifted the blame to the Franklin Institute. Castellini was promptly fired. Whether KYW was genuinely duped or simply used the press agent as a scapegoat remains unresolved.
9. The Alien Invasion of Jafr
You might question how people still fall for April Fools’ pranks in this modern era, but it’s worth noting that April Fools’ Day isn’t a global custom. In 2010, the Jordanian town of Jafr was deceived by a newspaper article stating that spaceships operated by 3-meter-tall (10 ft) aliens had landed in the desert near the town.
Mohammed Mleihan, Jafr’s mayor, reported that residents were too scared to send their children to school, and he even contemplated evacuating the town. Sent troops found no evidence of an alien invasion. When the hoax was revealed, Mleihan vowed to take legal action against the Al Ghad newspaper.
The newspaper’s managing editor apologized for the distress caused, explaining that their intention was to entertain, not terrify. However, he didn’t clarify why Jafr was chosen. Many speculated it was due to the town’s history of hosting a military base that had accommodated both US troops and Al-Qaeda terrorists at different times.
8. Eruption Near Boston
Those familiar with the Greater Boston area might recognize Great Blue Hill, a peak located about 15 kilometers (10 mi) southwest of the city. As the highest point in Norfolk County, it’s a favorite spot for hikers. On April 1, 1980, a WNAC-TV news report convinced locals that Great Blue Hill had erupted.
Reporter Jan Harrison claimed that ash and lava were erupting from the hill, damaging nearby homes. This came just days after Mount St. Helens showed signs of activity, so the threat of a significant volcanic eruption was still fresh in everyone’s memory.
Mount St. Helens was partly responsible for the panic, as the report suggested it had triggered a geological chain reaction. The broadcast included stock footage of lava flows and edited statements from President Jimmy Carter and Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King, both emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The segment concluded with Harrison holding up a card that read “April Fool.” However, many viewers had already stopped watching by then, as the story had sparked widespread alarm, especially in Milton and Canton. Numerous residents contacted local authorities, and some even began fleeing their homes.
Ultimately, the station dismissed executive producer Homer Cilley for lacking “sound news judgment.” Beyond the prank, he also breached Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations by using stock footage without proper attribution.
7. Google Drops The Mic
Google has earned a reputation as a dedicated prankster on April Fools’ Day, investing significant resources into creating features that last only 24 hours. In recent years, they’ve unveiled numerous jokes annually, most of which are clever and well-executed. However, this wasn’t the case in 2016 when Google introduced the Gmail Mic Drop.
A mic drop is a bold gesture used to emphasize the conclusion of a performance or speech. Two years ago, Google introduced the Mic Drop feature for Gmail, which appended a gif of a mic drop—specifically, the yellow minion from the Despicable Me franchise performing it in the Minions movie—to emails.
It’s important to note that Gmail didn’t apply this feature to every email automatically. Instead, a separate “Send + Mic Drop” button was placed next to the standard send button. However, Google underestimated how easily users could accidentally activate the feature.
Compounding the issue, the Mic Drop feature ended the email thread. To ensure the sender had the final word, it automatically muted all other participants in the conversation. Google promoted the feature with the tagline, “Everyone will get your message, but that’s the last you’ll ever hear about it.”
As it happens, even on April 1, some people need to send important emails that don’t require a minion gif. Complaints flooded in about users accidentally sending the Mic Drop to professional contacts or clients. To make matters worse, they missed replies because the feature disabled further responses. Google swiftly removed the Mic Drop feature within hours.
6. Topless Stylist Causes Traffic Jam
Barber George Birko believed he had devised a clever joke that could also boost his business. On April 1, 1980, he placed a sign outside his barbershop in Columbus, Ohio, announcing: “Topless Stylist on Duty Today.” Curious passersby and potential clients entered the shop, only to find Birko hard at work, wearing nothing but a tuxedo tie above the waist.
The barber’s stunt attracted such a large crowd that police had to intervene to address the resulting traffic jam. They requested Birko to take down the sign. He obliged, but not before the Ohio Barber Licensing Board learned of his prank, alerted by the vice squad.
Unaware it was an April Fools’ joke, the board sent an official to investigate. After finding no topless women, the inspector concluded that the shirtless barber didn’t violate any rules and departed.
The entire ordeal proved to be a significant inconvenience for Birko. Despite this, he viewed it as a lighthearted prank. Additionally, it achieved its purpose—the barber’s business saw a twofold increase that day.
5. The New Voyage Of The Titanic
Beachy Head, a chalk headland on England’s southeast coast, is renowned for its stunning beauty and towering cliffs. Sadly, these same features also make it one of the world’s most frequented suicide locations. However, in 2001, the site faced an unusual issue when an April Fools’ prank led to reports of a massive crack in its cliff face.
The incident began with a broadcast on Brighton radio. A Southern FM DJ informed listeners that a replica of the Titanic would sail past East Sussex and be visible from Beachy Head. The report claimed the ship was constructed by a company named AFD, an acronym for April Fools’ Day, which was the only hint (aside from the date) that the story was a joke.
Unsurprisingly, many people believed the story and flocked to see the ship. Hundreds gathered at the location, only to realize they had been duped. The crowd was so large that a 1.5-meter (5 ft) crack formed in the cliff face. Authorities had to evacuate the area and set up barriers to keep people away.
The radio station issued an apology for the prank, but the Maritime and Coastguard Agency was not amused. Considering the massive turnout, the risk of landslides, and the dense fog that day, the potential for disaster was alarmingly high.
4. Super Mario Bomb Scare
Without a doubt, Super Mario is one of the most iconic gaming franchises ever, but not everyone is familiar with it. In 2006, five teenage girls learned this the hard way when an April Fools’ prank escalated to the point where they faced potential criminal charges.
On April 1, residents of Ravenna, Ohio, discovered several strange boxes placed around the town. The 17 boxes were positioned near key locations such as a courthouse, a church, and a high school. Each box was wrapped in gold paper with a large white question mark prominently displayed on the front.
Gamers would instantly recognize these as the famous question blocks from Super Mario, known for containing power-ups. However, others suspected they might be explosive devices.
The bomb squad was summoned to inspect the boxes. They discovered the containers were empty, holding neither explosives nor power-ups. The teenagers responsible came forward, explaining they had found the design on a website featuring art project ideas.
Randall McCoy, the town’s police chief, noted that this was a popular game played nationwide, but no other instances of the boxes being mistaken for bombs had been reported.
3. To Honor A Killer
In 1971, Texas Representative Tom Moore pulled a prank on his legislative colleagues by introducing a resolution to honor a Boston man who had “selflessly served his nation, state, and community.” The resolution highlighted that this individual had been acknowledged by Massachusetts for his “remarkable efforts and innovative methods in population control and applied psychology.”
The resolution was approved unanimously. However, there was a major issue—it paid tribute to Albert DeSalvo, infamously known as the “Boston Strangler.”
DeSalvo had confessed to 13 murders, though he was imprisoned for multiple sexual assaults. Regardless, he was hardly the type of individual the Texas House of Representatives should be commending. Moore retracted the resolution after its approval.
The media portrayed the incident as Moore highlighting how legislators often pass or reject measures without reading them, sparking international backlash. However, in an interview years later, Moore clarified that this was never his intention.
The former representative was aware that the bill would be overlooked since it was purely symbolic and carried no legal weight. However, he had always intended the prank to be a lighthearted April Fools’ joke.
2. The Mouse In The Egg
One of the most disastrous April Fools’ pranks dates back to 1900, involving a young couple from Binghamton, New York, where a joke went terribly wrong. The newspaper described 19-year-old Edith Walrach as having a “highly sensitive disposition,” while her unnamed fiancé was known as a “practical joker.” Naturally, he couldn’t resist playing a trick on his future bride on April 1.
That morning, Miss Walrach was enjoying breakfast, unaware that her fiancé had altered her boiled egg. He had cleverly placed a live mouse inside the eggshell, resealed it, and covered it with plaster of Paris.
When Miss Walrach cracked the shell with her spoon, the mouse darted out, causing her to scream and faint. A doctor was summoned, and the shock led to her suffering three nervous breakdowns that day. The article doesn’t reveal the couple’s ultimate fate, but she was left in critical condition, while her fiancé was overwhelmed with guilt.
1. A Trip Around The World
A good rule for pranks is to never promise something for free or at a steep discount. People will inevitably want it and become angry when they discover it’s a hoax.
In 1872, the Thomas Cook travel agency in London arranged the first guided global tour. A century later, John Carter, a reporter for The Times, devised a clever way to commemorate the event while also pulling an April Fools’ prank.
He announced that Thomas Cook (still operating) would offer a similar trip for the first 1,000 applicants at 1872 prices—210 guineas, or about $575, for a world tour. As a joke, Carter instructed all inquiries to be sent to “Miss Avril Foley.”
Predictably, people overlooked the hint, too thrilled by the prospect of securing an extraordinary deal on a dream vacation. Hundreds lined up for hours outside Thomas Cook offices, venting their frustration and confusion at staff who were equally perplexed.
Eventually, The Times confessed to the prank and issued an apology for the disruption caused. However, this didn’t stop the flood of irate letters. As a result, Carter was dismissed, though he was later rehired.
