Some of the Best All-Time April Fools' Jokes

April 1 is a day of tomfoolery, tricks, gimmicks, and downright immaturity. But where did it come from?Mystery surrounds the start of April Fools’ Day, but one thing’s for sure: you still have to watch your back. If you’ve ever been victim to the whoopee-cushion-on-seat or “kick me” sign pranks, you might not be a fan of April 1. But where did this tradition of tomfoolery come from?

Accounts vary, but the most popular story about the origin of April Fools’ Day comes from France. In the 1500s, France changed its calendar so the beginning of the New Year would match the new Gregorian calendar that began in January. This meant that winter would usher in the coming year instead of the traditional spring start in early April.
Legend has it that word of the change traveled slowly, and that many people in rural areas continued to celebrate the beginning of a new year during the spring. Because of their delayed response to a national change, these country folks became known as “April fools.”

But some disagree with this theory. They claim that April Fools’ Day stemmed from age-old spring festivals meant to celebrate the coming of warm weather. During these festivals, pranks and masquerades were commonplace, perhaps inspiring a day in which hoaxes and jokes became requirements.
Regardless of how April Fools’ Day came about, it has become a beloved—or frustrating—part of many people’s yearly traditions.

Here are some of the all-time great hoaxes and the fools who fell victim.

1957: Spaghetti crops : Among the BBC's legendary pranks (and they are known worldwide for them) is their report of an early spaghetti harvest in Switzerland, complete with a video of peasants harvesting the noodles from spaghetti trees. Hundreds of people called, asking how to get a spaghetti tree of their own.

1976: Planetary pranks: BBC is at it again, this time publishing a report from astronomer Patrick Moore that got thousands of Brits off their seats. Moore reported that a rare alignment of Jupiter and Mars at 9:47 a.m. on the morning of April 1 would result in a temporary reduction in the Earth’s gravitational field. He told listeners if they jumped at exactly that time they would float momentarily, something that many callers later reported to the station as actually happening, despite the prankish nature of the report.

1996: Patriotic Fast Food: Taco Bell announces it has purchased the Liberty Bell to help relieve the nation’s debt and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell”, shuttling the national treasure between Philadelphia and company headquarters in Irvine, Tex. The White House jumped in on the joke, announcing the Ford Motor Company had purchased the Lincoln Monument and had renamed it the Lincoln Mercury Monument. By noon, the hoax was up, though Taco Bell did donate $50,000 for ongoing maintenance of the Liberty Bell.

1997: Garfield? Is that you?: Over 40 of the most well-known cartoonists decide to mix their cartoon strips for the day, with such swaps as Garfield making an appearance in the lives of Blondie and family. It confused and amused comic fans.

1998: Love for lefties: Burger King announces via a full-page ad in USA Today that it is releasing a brand-new left-handed Whopper featuring the same ingredients but with its condiments rotated by 180 degrees. Sales of both the left- and right-handed Whoppers spike.

2008: Penguins Soaring At Crazy Altitudes Scare Unwitting Toucans: The chaps at the BBC are always good for a prank. The "Beeb" is renowned for creating excellent wildlife shows. While filming a series called Miracles of Evolution down near the South Pole, excited BBC film-makers( who perpetrated this elaborate hoax) claimed they had seen the most remarkable event. A large group of Adelie Penguins (like those in Happy Feet) had looked like they were going to huddle together for a bit of warmth, when they started flying instead: The narrator, ex-Monty Python member Terry Jones, explained how these wonderful creatures would fly thousands of miles looking for tropical rainforests and a bit of sun. It was an elaborate and well created prank. This is a wonderful April Fool's Day classic, because just for a minute, you actually believe a rare group of penguins can fly. And if you squint carefully near the end at the background, you can just make out a beautiful flock of pigs. SEE VIDEO BELOW.