You’ve Been PRANKED!

Youve Been PRANKED!

April Fools’ Day is the one day a year where you can prank your friends without any repercussions. Maybe that’s not true, but you can certainly try to mess with them. While some people use this holiday to incorporate humorous little annoyances into the lives of those around them, others, most notably companies, take their pranks to an extreme. Here are some of the most intriguing April Fools’ Day pranks of all time: 

 

1. Left-Handed Toilet Paper 

According to CNN, the toilet paper brand Cottonelle announced they would be introducing left-handed toilet paper in 2015 as an April Fools’ Day prank. Not many people fell for the lighthearted scheme. I’m sure many lefties felt represented, even if it was a fake product. 

 

2. Taco Liberty Bell 

The fast-food chain Taco Bell announced in 1996 that they purchased the Liberty Bell “’in an effort to help the national debt,’” as stated by CNNThe National Park Service had to get involved and debunk the situation. Taco Bell ended up donating $50,000 to help preserve the bell. According to National Geographic, the prank was the first time businesses began viewing April Fools’ Day “as a way to promote their brand and make money.” 

 

3. Google’s Pokémon Game 

According to National GeographicGoogle introduced a game where players could use Google Maps to catch Pokémon in different locations in 2014. The prize for accumulating the largest collection of Pokémon was the position of “Pokémon Master” at GoogleDespite this simply being a prank, game developers took the idea and turned it into the mobile game Pokémon Go. 

 

4. Nixon’s Presidential Campaign: 1992 

National Public Radio faked an announcement that Richard Nixon would be running for the 1992 election, as stated by National GeographicThe public unfortunately heavily believed the prank and were outraged by the false statement. 

 

5. Spaghetti Harvest 

National Geographic explains that in 1957, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) reported a large spaghetti crop in Switzerland. They provided detailed footage of individuals picking noodles from trees to further support the claim. Many were upset by the prank, but others questioned how they could grow their own pasta.