Don't Be Fooled
By Anna
@LadyDuck (470745)
Switzerland
April 1, 2017 3:30am CST
Here we are, first day of the new month: April's Fool Day.
The origin of April Fool day is uncertain. The first association between foolishness and the first day of April is recorded in The Canterbury Tales (year 1392) Geoffrey Chaucer's.
Now for a little fun, some of the most famous pranks of the past:
In 1962 Swedish national TV broadcast a special on how to get color TV by placing a nylon stocking in front of your old B/W TV.
In 1966 Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell
In 1980 the BBC announced that Big Ben, was going to be turned into a digital readout.
In 1998 Burger King published an advertisement to announce a new item on their menu: the Left-Handed Whopper, designed for the left-handed Americans.
Have you ever believed a fake news on April's Fool Day?
Be careful today, pay attention not to be fooled.
82 people like this
91 responses
@moffittjc (121499)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Apr 17
I generally take all news and information with skepticism until such time as I can verify more closely, so I've never been fooled by April Fool's pranks. I'm especially cautious on April !.
10 people like this
@moffittjc (121499)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Actually, I do remember one time I was fooled, and it was back in the 80's when I was a teenager. ESPN ran a story about a professional baseball player who broke the record for the fastest pitch ever. Millions of people believed it, and it took about a week before everyone figured out that it was an April Fools prank!
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
1 Apr 17
I have heard and seen some 'news' articles over the years. I think one of my favourites was the creation of Canada's newest territory....called Nunavut. (Pronounced none of it). On April 1. Surprise....this was true, not an April fools joke. 
8 people like this
@LadyDuck (470745)
• Switzerland
1 Apr 17
@Morleyhunt I agree, I cannot believe that they choose April 1st to create the new territory.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck why would they choose April 1 to create this new territory baffles me. I just know it sounded incredible....especially the name. It would have been an almost perfect prank.
3 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
1 Apr 17
Nope I don't think I ever believed anything ! Except once from the devil on myLot
He said he was going get married February 30, I said congratulations without thinking lol
5 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Hahah, yes! I remember that one! This year it is the policy change.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470745)
• Switzerland
1 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby YES! And I saw someone that believed it was true.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 17
Haha I used to be very bad teasing every one on April the 1st! But not now!
6 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Yes Anna. I grew up last week so have not done anything this year! 
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
1 Apr 17
Ha! I never even knew before that those corporation and such tried to fool people in those ways, pretty funny actually.
I only know about personal things said at home and at work. Since I'm home more alone I've not come up with anything for today and probably won't bother. My pranks are pretty simple things like another member wrote that her husband tried today. That was that there was a lot of snow outside. That might have worked a few days ago, but not today so much.
Hey, I actually saw one of your posts the day you wrote it. That's not happened for a very long time.
5 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I can clearly see in the photograph that you are left handed.
3 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
1 Apr 17
@Asylum Now wait a minute here, Barry. How did you know I was left-handed? WHoppers aren't really my thing, I do like their cheeseburgers though with onion rings.
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
1 Apr 17
digital readout on the Big Ben? hehehehe
4 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
2 Apr 17
I have been fooled a few times. Have you seen the 1950ish spoof on Pasta growing on trees in Switzerland? @Asylum posted it and I just saw it today...
3 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Apr 17
I got a letter in the mail today from the Social Security Administration (where I get my monthly retirement checks) saying that I was going to be getting a certain amount from the government (which was no different than the one I got in January). The scary part is that they're saying I won't get it until MAY. What about Aprils check!!!! Are they saying I'm not going to get any money for the month of April?????? That can't happen @LadyDuck . That is all I have for incoming money. This would be the worst April Fools joke in history.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (470745)
• Switzerland
2 Apr 17
@nanette64 They cannot do something like this, it's surely a prank, but it's a very bad joke. Good luck for tomorrow when you will find out.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck And don't it figure I would get that letter on a Saturday when I can't call them until Monday to find out what's going on. Nothing like making me a nervous wreck for the entire weekend. I will be devastated if I don't money until May. My mortgage, utility bills, loans, insurance; everything is automatically pulled from my checking account on the 3rd. So if that Social Security check isn't in the bank on Monday I am soooooo screwed.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
1 Apr 17
So far no one has tried to fool me, but my son is at work so I'm expecting something when he gets home.
5 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck It's not quite noon here
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
12 Apr 17
I have not seen these fake news releases. How funny they are. How funny it is that people actually believed them. My cousin was born on April 1st. He always gets lots of jokes played on him because of this.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16748)
• China
1 Apr 17
Thank you for sharing those funny things with us!Here nobody would fools me,because April's Fool Day hasn't been here to stay.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16748)
• China
2 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Funny thing !This day, people can fool others without being responsible for what they do.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470745)
• Switzerland
2 Apr 17
@changjiangzhibin89 I can laugh to innocents jokes, but I fully dislike dangerous pranks.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470745)
• Switzerland
1 Apr 17
@abhinalstrikr You are right, because today we are prepared, all the other days of the year we are not.
@abhinalstrikr (4111)
• India
1 Apr 17
@LadyDuck it easy to do for today but on other regular day its difficult to save ourself from being fooled
1 person likes this
@Jon2071 (256)
• United States
1 Apr 17
Those are funny. I especially like the pranks played by Burger King and Taco Bell. How to convert a B/W tv into color was also hilarious. I wonder if there were actually people standing in front of their b/w televisions trying to stretch a stocking across it..
3 people like this
