The following, including text and graphics are from The Museum of Hoaxes/About. "The Museum of Hoaxes, The Museum of Hoaxes was established in 1997. It explores deception, mischief, and misinformation throughout history, playing host to a variety of humbugs and hoodwinks — from ancient fakery all the way up to modern schemes, dupes, and dodges that circulate online."
Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes Of All Time
#82: How To Cook A Unicorn
April 1, 2012: The British Library, on its Medieval Manuscripts Blog,
announced the "near-miraculous" discovery in its archives of a
long-lost medieval cookbook that included a recipe for how to cook a
unicorn. "Taketh one unicorne," began the instructions, and then
marinade it in cloves and garlic before finally roasting it on a
griddle. The cookbook even included hand-drawn illustrations, which the
library reproduced, showing exactly how the unicorn should be grilled.
The compiler of the cookbook was said to be one "Geoffrey Fule," who
worked in the kitchens of Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England from
1328-1369.
#79: Frogs Meet Wave
April 1, 1906: The front page of the Wichita Daily Eagle
carried news of an astounding natural phenomena. A huge wave,
eleven-feet high, was moving southward down the Arkansas River.
Simultaneously, a giant mass of millions of frogs, spanning a distance
of over eleven miles, was migrating northward up the river. The two
(wave and frogs) were predicted to meet at Wichita at around 10 o'clock
that morning. The report brought out thousands of Kansans who lined the
banks of the river, eager to see such a once-in-a-lifetime event. When,
after three hours, the wonder never materialized, it occurred to the
crowd what day it was, and they dispersed quietly back to their homes.
#50: 15th Annual NYC April Fool Parade
April 1, 2000: A news release informed the media that the 15th
annual New York City April Fool's Day Parade would begin at noon on 59th
Street and proceed down to Fifth Avenue. It would include a "Beat 'em,
Bust 'em, Book 'em" float created by the New York, Los Angeles, and
Seattle police departments, portraying "themes of brutality, corruption
and incompetence." There would also be an "Atlanta Braves Baseball
Tribute to Racism" float featuring John Rocker "spewing racial epithets
at the crowd." CNN and the Fox affiliate WNYW promptly sent news crews
to cover the parade. They arrived at 59th Street at noon and patiently
waited for the parade to start. It never did. The prank was the
handiwork of long-time hoaxer Joey Skaggs, who had been issuing press releases announcing the nonexistent parade every April Fool's Day since 1986 (and, as of 2015, he's still maintaining the tradition).
#7: The Taco Liberty Bell
#7: The Taco Liberty Bell
April 1, 1996: The Taco Bell Corporation took out a full-page ad
that appeared in six major newspapers announcing it had bought the
Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of
outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia
where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only
calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a
practical joke. The best line of the day came when White House press
secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet,
he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now
be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.
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Related April Fools Day History - History.com, Tradition popularized, 4/1/1700. Jeremiah Warren,You Tube video, 2:20 minutes. April 1st, a significant date in history, Wikipedia.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
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