Best April Fool’s Day Pranks

Taco Liberty Bell

   In 1996, the Taco Bell Corporation (TBC) took out full page adds in SIX major newspapers to announce that it had purchased the Liberty Bell.  TBC also announced that it would be changing the name of the historic staple to the ‘Taco Liberty Bell’.  Needless to say, hundreds of calls from outraged patriots were placed to the National Historic Park of Philadelphia (the home of the Liberty Bell).  Tensions calmed when after a few hours of the hoaxes birth, TBC revealed that the sale was merely a prank. 

   When asked about the sale, White House Press Secretary, Mike McCurry stated that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold and would now be called the “Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial”.

Not Nixing Nixon

    Talk of the Nation (a National Public Radio show) revealed that Richard Nixon would be running for office AGAIN.  According to the show, his new slogan was to be “I didn’t do anything wrong and I won’t do it again.”  The reports were accompanied by audio of Nixon giving his candidacy speech………well so thought listeners.  The show’s host, John Hockenberry, received tons of calls from listeners who were not shy about expressing their shock and OUTRAGE regarding Nixon attempting to take office again. 

     During the second half of the show, Hockenberry revealed that the announcement was a hoax and the audio came by way of Nixon impersonator and comedian, Rich Little.

Biblical Pi in Alabama

     An article written by physicist, Mark Boslough claiming that the Alabama Legislature had voted to change the mathematical value of pi from 3.14159 to the ‘Biblical value’ of 3.0 ended up going viral in 1998.  Boslough wrote the article for an issue of New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter and it was intended as a parody in regards to Alabama’s attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution. 

  The “changing” of the mathematical value spread across the web and via email swiftly, resulting in the Alabama Legislature being flooded with calls concerning the alteration.

Have it the Left-Handed Way

       Burger King published a full page add in USA Today, introducing their new ‘Left-Hand Whopper’.  The new sandwich was said to have all of the same ingredients as a traditional whopper, with a twist…..all of the condiments would be rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of the 32 billion left-handed Americans.  Thousands of people were reported to have requested the left-handed whopper and there were even requests for a right-handed version.

   The following day, Burger King placed another add revealing that the sandwich was simply a hoax.

Premature Virgin Hoax

    Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Records, wanted to combine his love of ballooning with his love of pranks.  Therefore in 1989 he created a balloon to resemble a UFO and wore a metallic suit (in order to appear alien), Branson planned to land his craft in London’s Hyde Park on April 1^st.  Due to wind conditions, he was forced to land on March 31^st in the wrong direction.

    Motorists driving along a highway on the outside of London noticed the ‘UFO’ descending.  Many pulled to the side of the rode in order to witness the “alien invasion”.  A few called local police.  Once officers arrived on the scene, ONE began to approach the craft, but when Branson emerged wearing a metallic suit, the officer fled in fear.