Now that it's a safe period of time after April Fools' Day, you can read fun facts about that day without feeling like a gullible idiot if it happens to be a prank! In other words...Disclaimer: These facts are true and safe to believe. Don't you feel safer now?
1. Humans like pranking each other
Call humans what you will--evil, cruel, resilient--but we are a funny species! The tradition of setting a specific day aside to harass your neighbor through harmless pranks reaches back to the Middle Ages. In 1508, Eloy d'Amerval referenced poisson d'avril, a French variant of April Fools' Day.
2. April Fish
In countries such as France or the Netherlands, April 1st is named April Fish in which the goal is to attach a paper fish to your poor unknowing neighbor.
3. Spaghetti Trees
Money may not grow on trees, but, according to a 1957 BBC broadcast, the Swiss had a tradition of harvesting spaghetti on trees. Unfortunately, quite a few people believed them.
4. Kick Me
It is widely stated that Scotland apparently invented the "kick me" sign, which would be pasted to someone's back as part of their pranking celebrations.
5. Taco Bell
In 1996, Taco Bell bought out hundreds of advertisements claiming that they were buying the Liberty Bell due to financial problems in the government. It would be renamed the Taco Liberty Bell. Doesn't that have a ring to it?
6. BBC Strikes Back
In 1980, BBC news declared that Big Ben would go digital. The now useless hands of the clock would be sold off to the first four people who called in. Guess what? Someone did.
7. Iceberg!
In 1978, some resourceful person dragged in an iceberg from Antarctica and left it in Sydney Harbor on April Fools' Morning.
8. The early bird gets the worm
In some places like Britain, April Fools' pranks are restricted to the morning.
9. Tetris!
In 2012, a group of MIT students turned a 295-foot building into a large Tetris game. It required phenomenal rigging of the windows with LED lights and some smart MIT smartness.
10. Socks don't only go on feet
In 1962, a Swedish TV station told their viewers that if they stretched colored nylon socks over the TV and swayed side to side, they would be able to watch their show in color! It looked a bit odd, and it didn't work.
11. Forget Watergate
In 1992, NPR released a statement by Richard Nixon that he would be running again. It was later found that comedian Rich Little impersonated Nixon through the airwaves.
