April Fools’ Day, observed annually on April 1st, has long served as a playground for mischief-makers, jokesters, and pranksters all over the world. It’s a day when everyone gets to be a little silly and have fun. People all over the world play tricks on each other, making up funny stories or doing silly things just to make others laugh or be amazed. Some jokes are so funny, or, dare I say, completely outrageous, that they become really famous. Let’s take a look at ten of the craziest April Fool’s Day pranks ever pulled off in history.
Google’s “Mic Drop” Email Button (2016)
Google introduced a “Mic Drop” button in Gmail, which allowed users to send an email with a GIF of a Minion dropping a microphone. Unfortunately, it caused serious communication mishaps, leading to job losses and other problems. Google had to quickly disable the feature.
Los Angeles’ Airport prank
In 1992, the airport hung a banner welcoming passengers to Chicago, confusing arrivals. Imagine descending from a plane and then realising that you have landed in the wrong city. As soon as passengers started deplaning they noticed a banner that read, “Welcome to Chicago.” The 85-foot-long yellow banner on the ground that spelt out in 20-foot-high red letters was hung just above the Hollywood Park race track and was visible to any arriving passenger.
BMW’s “Self-Cleaning Car” (2019)
BMW released a video claiming they had developed a self-cleaning car. The video showed a car with brushes and water jets cleaning itself. It turned out to be an elaborate prank, but many viewers were impressed by the concept.
Duolingo’s “Emoji Course” (2020)
Duolingo, the language-learning app, announced a new course: learning languages through emojis. They claimed you could become fluent in Klingon, High Valyrian, or Pig Latin using only emojis. Some users were genuinely intrigued!
BBC’s “Spaghetti Trees” (1957)
In 1957, the BBC aired a segment on their show “Panorama” about Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. The footage showed women carefully plucking strands of spaghetti from tree branches. Many viewers believed it was real, and some even called the BBC to inquire about growing their own spaghetti trees!
The Left-Handed Whopper (1998)
Burger King ran an ad in USA Today claiming they had created a special “Left-Handed Whopper” for left-handed customers. The prank included a redesigned burger with all the condiments rotated 180 degrees. Some customers requested it, while others caught on to the joke.
Google’s “Gmail Paper” (2007)
Google announced a new service called “Gmail Paper,” claiming they would print users’ emails and deliver them by mail. Users could request a physical copy of any email, complete with foldable origami-style envelopes. Of course, it was a playful hoax.
The Eiffel Tower Zip Line (2018)
A fake video circulated online, showing a zip line from the Eiffel Tower’s top to the ground. The video claimed that visitors could now experience an adrenaline rush while descending from the iconic landmark. Needless to say, it was entirely fictional.
Reddit’s “Place” Experiment (2017)
Reddit launched an interactive canvas called “Place” where users could place coloured pixels on a shared grid. Each user could only place one pixel every few minutes. The result was a collaborative artwork with millions of contributions, including pixel art, flags, and memes.
Amazon’s Petlexa (2017)
In 2017, Amazon announced Petlexa, a voice assistant for pets. The hilarious video showcased dogs and cats interacting with Amazon Echo devices. Features included ordering treats, playing music for pets, and even translating barks into human language. Pet owners were both amused and bewildered by the concept.
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