10 Things You Didn’t Know About April Fool’s Day

Last Updated on: May 15th, 2024

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Fun Facts About April Fool's DayApril Fools’ Day, also known as All Fools’ Day, is a day of pranks and practical jokes that is celebrated in many countries around the world.

I thought it might be interesting to do a bit of a deep dive into this strange quasi-holiday. I hope you enjoy these factoids and learn a thing or two about April Fool’s Day that you didn’t know.

Fun Facts About April Fool’s Day

  1. The origins of April Fools’ Day are uncertain, but it is believed to have started in France in the 16th century.
  2. In France, April Fools’ Day is called “Poisson d’Avril” or “April Fish,” and it is traditional to stick paper fish on people’s backs as a prank.
  3. In Scotland, April Fools’ Day used to be a two-day event called “Huntigowk Day,” during which people would send each other on foolish errands.
  4. In the UK, April Fools’ Day is also known as “Gowk Day,” and it is customary to send someone on a fool’s errand with a letter that reads “send the fool further.”
  5. In Iran, April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the 13th day of the Persian New Year, which falls on or around April 1st.
  6. In India, April Fools’ Day is known as “Huli,” and it is celebrated by throwing colored powder and water at friends and family.
  7. The first recorded April Fools’ Day prank in the US was in 1698, when a newspaper reported that a ship was seen sailing on land.
  8. In 1957, the BBC aired a segment about spaghetti trees, which convinced many viewers that spaghetti grew on trees.
  9. In 1996, Taco Bell announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell, sparking outrage and protests until the company revealed it was an April Fools’ Day prank.
  10. In 2019, Google announced a new feature called “Screen Cleaner,” which claimed to use advanced technology to clean smudges off smartphone screens. It was, of course, a prank.

April Fools’ Day is a lighthearted holiday that has been celebrated in various ways around the world for centuries. While it is often associated with harmless pranks and jokes, it is important to remember to be respectful and considerate of others when participating in the festivities.

So there you have it. Hopefully you now know 10 more things about April Fools’ Day than you did 10 minutes ago.



Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Most of these fun facts come from internet reports and may not be official tallies. No information contained on DMR should be relied upon to make investment decisions. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee anything to be 100%.