The 10 high profile April Fools’ jokes have turned the first of March into a playground for mischief makers across the globe. From television stations to billionaire entrepreneurs, these pranks have delighted, bewildered, and sometimes landed their creators in hot water. Below we count down the most memorable capers that have left audiences both laughing and shaking their heads.

10 High Profile April Fools’ Pranks

10 Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

Imagine a world where spaghetti dangles from branches like ripe fruit. In 1957 the BBC pulled off a legendary April Fools’ stunt by presenting a faux‑documentary that claimed Swiss farmers were harvesting “spaghetti trees.” The broadcast featured a serene Alpine family delicately plucking strands of pasta from leafy boughs, then laying the freshly cut noodles out in the sunshine to dry before they were packaged for supermarkets worldwide.

The narrator went on to wax lyrical about years of meticulous research, explaining how each noodle was cultivated to a uniform length and how a sudden frost could ruin the delicate flavor of the crop. He treated the whole affair with the gravitas of a serious agricultural report, even warning that a hard freeze might “impair” the spaghetti’s taste.

Reactions were split. Some viewers were amused by the obvious absurdity, while others, taking the piece at face value, called the BBC to ask where they could buy a spaghetti plant. The segment sparked both irritation among the skeptics and genuine curiosity among the gullible.

9 The Aliens Have Landed

In 1989 the flamboyant founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, decided to give London a close encounter of the mischievous kind. Working with a hot‑air balloon specialist, he commissioned a massive, glowing sphere that looked unmistakably like a UFO. At dawn the craft drifted over the M25, its lights flashing in a rhythm that sent traffic to a halt as drivers craned their necks skyward.

Authorities were quickly alerted: police, the army, and emergency services all scrambled to the scene, fearing an extraterrestrial invasion. The craft eventually touched down in a Surrey field where costumed “aliens” emerged, startling a nearby constable who fled in panic before realizing he’d been duped by a well‑orchestrated April Fools’ gag.

The whole episode caused a media frenzy, with newspapers running headlines about an alien landing, only for the truth to surface hours later. Branson’s prank remains a textbook example of how a little creativity can turn a mundane morning commute into a full‑blown sci‑fi spectacle.

8 Floating An Iceberg From Antarctica

Australian gadget guru Dick Smith took April Fools’ to the harbor in 1978, staging what looked like a colossal iceberg drifting into Sydney’s iconic waters. Early commuters were treated to the sight of a massive white mass gliding past the Opera House, prompting crowds to gather on the quay and radio listeners to tune in for live commentary.

Smith had advertised the stunt as a humanitarian effort to rescue drought‑stricken farmers by delivering a fresh iceberg from Antarctica. In reality, he had fashioned a floating platform from fire‑retardant foam, coated it with shaving‑cream‑like material, and towed it into the harbor. The “iceberg” bobbed majestically until a sudden rain shower “melted” it, revealing the ruse.

The hoax sparked a media whirlwind, with journalists scrambling to capture the bizarre spectacle. When the foam dissolved under the rain, the truth emerged, and Smith’s clever use of everyday materials turned a simple prank into a city‑wide talking point.

7 A Colorful TV Hoax

Back in 1962 Sweden was still living in black‑and‑white, with only a single monochrome channel on the airwaves. On April 1 a mischievous “technician” from the national broadcaster announced a breakthrough: viewers could instantly turn their sets into full‑color by draping a pair of ladies’ stockings over the screen.

The broadcast demonstrated the trick, urging people to slip the sheer hosiery across the picture and then wiggle their heads side‑to‑side to “activate” the color. The presenter filled his explanation with faux‑technical jargon, making the absurd claim sound plausible enough that many viewers scrambled for their lingerie drawers.

While the hoax was harmless fun, it highlighted how little people knew about television technology at the time. Sweden would not actually receive true colour broadcasts until eight years later, making the prank a memorable footnote in the nation’s media history.

6 San Seriffe Islands

Travel‑savvy readers were thrilled in 1977 when the UK’s Guardian ran a glossy supplement touting the exotic San Seriffe archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The seven‑page feature boasted lavish maps, descriptions of “Upper Caisse” and “Lower Caisse,” and even a capital called “Bodoni” ruled by the charismatic General Pica.

Every name in the dossier was, however, a clever nod to printing terminology: “Caisse” (case), “Bodoni” (a typeface), and “Pica” (a unit of measure). The islands themselves were drawn in the shape of a semicolon, a subtle hint that the whole thing was a fabricated prank. Readers flooded the newspaper’s offices with inquiries, only to discover they’d been duped by a witty editorial team.

5 ‘Nessie’ Found Dead

In 1972 a sensational story broke that the legendary Loch Nessie had been discovered dead. Newspapers worldwide ran headlines claiming a team of Yorkshire zoo scientists had stumbled upon the creature’s corpse during a research expedition.

The “body” was, in fact, a large bull elephant seal that had died weeks earlier at the zoo. A mischievous keeper shaved the seal’s whiskers, padded its mouth, and froze the animal before secretly transporting it to Loch Ness, where it was “found” by his colleagues.

The prank spiraled out of control when police intervened, chasing the research team’s truck to retrieve the faux monster. The incident generated far more publicity than the prankster had imagined, cementing the hoax as one of the most elaborate April Fools’ deceptions ever recorded.

4 Left‑Handed Whopper

Left‑handed folks have long complained about everyday tools that favor right‑handed users—scissors, can openers, even pens. In 1998 Burger King decided to “help” by announcing a brand‑new Left‑Handed Whopper, claiming the condiments were repositioned on the opposite side of the bun for easier eating.

The fast‑food giant ran a full‑page newspaper ad showing the familiar burger with ketchup and mustard swapped to the left side. The joke was so convincing that countless customers marched into restaurants demanding the new version, prompting bewildered staff to explain that it was merely an April Fools’ gag.

3 Flying Penguins

In 2008 the BBC once again pulled a fast‑one, this time with a spectacular video of Adelie penguins taking to the skies. Purportedly filmed on King George’s Island, the footage showed the tuxedoed birds soaring above the Antarctic ice, their wings beating in perfect synchrony.

Presenters claimed that the relentless cold had forced the birds to evolve, granting them the ability to fly northward to enjoy warmer climates during the winter months. The clip, replete with convincing visual effects, fooled countless internet users who failed to spot the digital manipulation.

British tabloids ran the story as fact before the BBC finally confessed that the “flying penguins” were a clever April Fools’ video, leaving viewers both amazed and amused at the ingenuity of the stunt.

2 Smellovision

Back in 1965 the BBC aired a tongue‑in‑cheek segment featuring a supposed breakthrough called “Smellovision.” A university professor claimed he had engineered a device that could transmit aromas—like fresh coffee beans or sizzling onions—directly to viewers’ living rooms via their television sets.

The demonstration suggested that by placing the fragrant items into a special machine, the TV would release the scent into the air, allowing audiences to literally “taste” the broadcast. Though wildly implausible, many viewers called the station to report that they could indeed smell the coffee and onions emanating from their screens.

The prank highlighted the public’s limited understanding of broadcast technology at the time, and it remains a classic example of how a plausible‑sounding claim can capture the imagination of a mass audience.

1 Bringing Back The Woolly Mammoth

In 1984 the MIT Technology Review ran a sensational feature titled “Retrobreeding the Woolly Mammoth,” claiming Soviet scientists had succeeded in resurrecting the extinct beast. The article detailed how frozen mammoth DNA had been spliced with elephant cells, producing viable embryos that were then gestated by surrogate elephant mothers.

The piece went into exhaustive detail about the research facilities, the projected timelines for re‑introducing the species into the wild, and the potential ecological impacts. Several major news outlets reproduced the story without questioning its authenticity, treating the revival as a genuine scientific breakthrough.

Later, it emerged that the entire report was an elaborate April Fools’ hoax, a “mammoth” fact‑check error that fooled even seasoned journalists. The prank served as a cautionary tale about the importance of verification in an era hungry for sensational breakthroughs.

Human history is riddled with dark, grim chapters that demand our respect. Yet tucked between those shadows are ten pop culture marvels that sprouted from pure prankster spirit, later turning the world on its head. Let’s dive into the funny origins that rewrote entertainment, politics, and even science.

10 Pop Culture Moments That Began as Jokes

In the early 1980s, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird found themselves stuck in a creative rut. While Laird was glued to the television, Eastman idly doodled a goofy turtle wielding nunchucks and a mask. The absurd sketch was so outlandish that he showed it to Laird, who burst out laughing.

Laird, convinced of the sheer silliness, grabbed a pen and sketched his own version. The two kept trying to outdo each other until they produced four distinct, crime‑fighting reptiles. When Laird finally declared, “This is the dumbest thing ever,” the duo decided to turn the ridiculous idea into a real comic.

The debut issue of the Ninja Turtles needed a storyline as ludicrous as its heroes. The creators settled on a lazy parody of the era’s hottest comics, stitching together the most over‑the‑top elements they could find.

Each adjective in the title paid homage to a beloved superhero trope: “Teenage” echoed Jack Kirby’s youthful energy, “Mutant” nodded to the X‑Men, and “Ninja” borrowed from Frank Miller’s samurai series Ronin. Even the Foot Clan was a wink at Daredevil’s nemesis, The Hand.

Eastman plunked $1,000 of his uncle’s cash into self‑publishing a 42‑page comic that started as a night of goofing around. That modest venture exploded into a franchise of animated series, video games, blockbuster movies, and endless merchandise.

From a scribble on a napkin to a multi‑billion‑dollar empire, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles prove that a dumb joke can become cultural gold.

9 The Duck That Laid The Golden Egg

By 1983, George Lucas rode a wave of unprecedented success: American Graffiti, the Star Wars saga, and Raiders of the Lost Ark had cemented his reputation as a cinematic wizard.

Yet even a legend can trip over a gag. Lucas, granted carte blanche to chase his whims, set his sights on a live‑action adaptation of a beloved Marvel duck. The result? Howard the Duck, a film now infamous as one of the worst comedies ever produced.

Because it was the first Marvel property to hit the big screen, the studio assumed the movie would be a smash. Lucas hired the seasoned duo Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck—writers who helped craft his earlier hit American Graffiti—to bring the feathered hero to life.

Unfortunately, the film’s oddball humor, cringeworthy duck puns, and blatant sexism turned audiences away. In the United States, it recouped only $16 million of its $37 million budget, marking a spectacular flop.

Facing a financial hole, Lucas was forced to liquidate assets. One of those was the fledgling computer‑animation division of his company, which Steve Jobs snapped up.

Jobs turned that acquisition into Pixar Studios, birthing classics like Toy Story, Up, and Finding Nemo. In a strange twist of fate, a terrible duck movie indirectly gave birth to the most beloved animation studio of the modern era.

8 ‘The Ostrich’ Stuck Its Head In The Underground

Lou Reed embodied leather‑clad New York cool, a voice for a generation that sang about heroin, S&M, and gender‑bending. Yet his earliest foray into pop culture began as a corporate novelty.

During the mid‑1960s, Reed worked as the in‑house songwriter for the tiny Pickwick Records label. Pickwick’s survival hinged on churning out cheap knock‑off singles that rode the fads of the day.

Reed’s talent for mimicry soon gave way to outright absurdism. After dabbling in hot‑rod anthems and surf‑song pastiches, he released a bizarre dance‑craze track titled “The Ostrich,” a song that was as ridiculous as it was memorable.

While “The Ostrich” never topped the charts, its creation led to a pivotal partnership. Pickwick hired a young Welsh musician named John Cale, and the two would later form The Velvet Underground—one of the most influential rock groups in history.

7 The Novelty Record That Launched Gangsta Rap

In the 1980s, the California Raisin Advisory Board rolled out a Claymation commercial featuring animated raisins dancing to a parody of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” The joke? Raisins, after all, are dried grapes.

The commercial’s goofy premise struck a chord, sparking a cultural craze. The Raisins spawned toys, a Saturday morning cartoon, video games, and a string of albums, turning a simple joke into a massive merchandising juggernaut.

Priority Records, a modest LA label struggling for hits, rode the wave of Raisin‑induced cash. The sudden influx of money let them sign more daring acts.

Enter N.W.A., the antithesis of the wholesome Raisins. With Priority’s backing, N.W.A.’s raw, confrontational sound exploded onto the scene.

Their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton catapulted gangsta rap into the mainstream, reshaping the musical landscape forever.

6 Susanna Salter Won An Election On A Prank

Long before women earned the national right to vote, Susanna Salter made history in 1887 when the tiny Quaker town of Argonia, Kansas, elected her as the United States’ first female mayor.

Her quiet administration helped pave the way for a wave of women holding mayoral offices across the western frontier after the Civil War. Ironically, Salter’s victory hinged on a prank gone awry.

Salter’s political pedigree was solid: her father, Oliver Kinsey, had been Argonia’s first mayor, and her husband served as city clerk. She also held a law background, drafted town ordinances, and led the local Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, which selected male candidates for office.

A group of twenty men, uneasy with a woman wielding so much influence, fabricated a ballot that mirrored the WCTU’s list but swapped Salter in for mayor, assuming no one would vote for a woman.

The prank backfired spectacularly. When Salter cast her vote, she discovered her name on the ballot and, to everyone’s shock, secured a two‑thirds majority, cementing her place in history.

5 A Sexist Joke Discovered The Cosmos

Edward C. Pickering, overseeing astronomers at Harvard, once flippantly remarked that a calculation was “so easy my Scotch maid could do better.” The comment, meant as a jab, unintentionally highlighted the brilliance of his housekeeper, Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming.

Pickering’s jest was taken seriously, prompting him to call Fleming into the lab. She quickly proved herself, delivering razor‑sharp calculations that eclipsed her male peers.

Impressed, Pickering began hiring women almost exclusively, both for their talent and the cost savings of lower wages. This unconventional staffing choice birthed a group later dubbed “Pickering’s Harem.”

Fleming’s work shone brightest when she identified the Horsehead Nebula, a discovery that would become iconic in astronomical circles.

Other members of the cohort—Annie Jump Cannon, who devised a stellar classification system still in use, and Henrietta Swan Leavitt, whose data underpinned Edwin Hubble’s measurements of galactic distances—helped map the universe in ways that still resonate today.

4 Wristwatches Started Out As A ‘Silly‑Ass Fad’

Today, a gleaming Rolex is a status symbol, but at the turn of the 20th century, wristwatches were the equivalent of a flashy fidget spinner—an odd novelty rather than a sign of prestige.

Originally, men kept timepieces tucked in their pockets; wearing one on the wrist was deemed effeminate. When Europeans briefly embraced the trend, The New York Times dismissed it in 1916 as a “silly‑ass fad.”

Vaudeville performers soon adopted wristwatches as light‑hearted props, but the true turning point came during World I. Coordinated artillery strikes required soldiers to act in perfect synchrony, and fumbling for a pocket watch cost precious seconds.

To gain a tactical edge, troops strapped their pocket watches to leather straps on their wrists, shaving off crucial moments on the battlefield.

After the war, returning soldiers kept the practice, prompting luxury brands like Cartier to design wristwatches inspired by the military models. What began as a joke evolved into an emblem of elegance and power.

3 A Prank Might Have Killed Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh’s tragic death is often portrayed as a self‑inflicted suicide, fitting the archetype of the tormented genius.

However, Pulitzer‑winning biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith argue that the painter’s demise was the accidental result of a prank gone horribly wrong.

Van Gogh’s social circle included a rowdy group of teenagers who delighted in teasing him. Among them, René Secretan, the younger brother of a quiet friend, was notorious for harmless tricks—salt in coffee, a snake hidden in a paint box.

René also liked to brandish a malfunctioning pistol while dressed as the flamboyant Buffalo Bill, a habit that would prove fatal.

According to Naifeh and Smith, one night René’s prop misfired, sending a bullet straight into van Gogh’s abdomen. The painter lingered for 29 hours before succumbing to the wound.

Although the theory sparked fierce debate, several pieces of evidence back it: van Gogh left no suicide note, and forensic analysis in 2014 noted the wound’s angle and lack of black‑powder burns, suggesting someone else fired the gun.

Handgun expert Dr. Vincent Di Maio concluded, “It is my opinion that, in all medical probability, the wound incurred by van Gogh was not self‑inflicted.”

2 The Butt That Killed Thousands

Mooning—exposing one’s rear—has always been a low‑brow gag, but in AD 66 it turned deadly during a volatile period for the Jewish population under Roman rule.

Amid heightened religious tension around the Passover holidays, a Roman soldier decided to flash his own backside at a crowd of devout pilgrims.

The insult ignited a furious reaction; the pilgrims hurled rocks at the soldier, prompting the Roman garrison to call for reinforcements. The ensuing chaos caused a massive stampede that claimed the lives of over 10,000 people, marking a grim prelude to the First Jewish–Roman War.

1 The Party Was Lit At Le Bal Des Ardents

Some events start as jokes and end as tragedy; others begin as tragedy and become jokes with time. The 14th‑century French celebration known as Le Bal des Ardents (the “Ball of the Burning Men”) perfectly illustrates the former.

During the 1300s, French weddings were often light‑hearted affairs where pranks were expected. King Charles VI thought it would be amusing to mock his queen’s lady‑in‑waiting, Catherine de Fastaverin, by staging a costume dance where participants dressed as wild apes, their outfits coated in hemp, linen, and tar.

The prank, more a display of folly than wit, turned disastrous when Charles’s brother arrived late, heavily intoxicated, and stumbled in brandishing a torch. The flame ignited the tar‑coated costumes, setting several men ablaze.

Four of the costumed revelers died instantly, their injuries so severe that their genitals were reportedly torn away by the fire. Charles narrowly escaped death by diving into his aunt’s skirt.

This horrific episode further destabilized Charles, who already suffered from mental illness. The incident tarnished his reputation, fuelling political unrest that eventually spiraled into two decades of civil war over the French throne.

If you enjoyed the article, you can write to the author at [email protected]. If you want to see what the author thinks is funny, you can follow him on Twitter @NateYungman. Hopefully, his jokes don’t cause any civil wars.

Some people try to brush off bad behavior by insisting it was merely a joke. Whether that claim holds water or not, the idea behind a joke is that it isn’t meant to be taken seriously—after all, who would treat a punchline as fact? Yet, surprisingly, 10 jokes ended up leaving a lasting imprint on history, turning light‑hearted quips into serious, sometimes world‑changing, outcomes.

10 A Stegosaurus’ Tail Spikes Were Named Thanks to a Far Side Joke

10 Jokes Ended: The Thagomizer Tale

Dinosaurs have long captured the public imagination, and movies like Jurassic Park only amplified that fascination. While the public adored these prehistoric giants, not everyone knew the finer details of their anatomy. Take the spiky tail of a stegosaurus, for instance—what was the official name for those defensive plates?

In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson slipped a sly joke into a Far Side panel: a caveman lecturing peers on dinosaur anatomy and labeling the tail spikes as a “Thagomizer,” a tribute to a fictional caveman named Thag who apparently met an untimely end by those very spikes. The humor lay in the absurdity of a prehistoric naming convention.

Fast forward to 1993, when a paleontologist at a conference examined a newly uncovered stegosaur tail fossil. Lacking an established term, the scientist recalled Larson’s cartoon and casually referred to the spikes as a “Thagomizer” before his colleagues. The quip stuck, and the name began circulating among researchers.

From that point on, the moniker spread through academic papers and textbooks, eventually becoming the widely accepted scientific label for the stegosaurus’s tail spikes. What began as a cartoon punchline now resides in peer‑reviewed literature.

9 The FBI Wasted Two Years Investigating a Joke

Among the many responsibilities of the FBI is the monitoring of extremist and hate‑filled groups. In 2005, agents opened a file on an online collective calling itself “God Hates Goths,” which appeared to espouse violent rhetoric reminiscent of the notorious Westboro Baptist Church.

Investigators uncovered posts urging attacks on anyone who defied a twisted notion of God, especially targeting the Goth subculture. As the probe deepened, the bureau believed the group might have been involved in arson incidents and even the poisoning of mentally disabled children. However, finding witnesses proved nearly impossible, and the case stalled.

After two years of dead‑ends, a keen reader finally scrolled to the bottom of the “God Hates Goths” website and discovered a small disclaimer stating the entire site was a joke. Upon realizing the group never existed beyond satire, the FBI promptly closed the file, ending a costly two‑year investigation that began with earnest concern.

8 Babe Ruth’s Nickname Started as a Joke

George Herman Ruth, better known as Babe Ruth, remains one of baseball’s most iconic figures, even a century after his debut. The nickname, however, didn’t spring from his prodigious home runs—it originated from a tongue‑in‑cheek comment in 1914.

At that time, Jack Dunn, owner of the minor‑league Baltimore Orioles, wanted to sign the 19‑year‑old Ruth. Because the youngster was technically underage, Dunn legally adopted him as his guardian, allowing the signing to proceed. The arrangement was a little shady, prompting onlookers to jest that the player was “Dunn’s babe.”

The quip caught on, and journalists began referring to the slugger as “Babe” Ruth. What started as a flippant joke quickly solidified into a lasting moniker that still resonates in baseball lore today.

7 A Canadian Company Started Selling Canned Air as a Joke

When bottled water first hit the market, many scoffed at the idea of packaging something so readily available. Yet the industry exploded, with over 350 billion liters sold annually worldwide. Two enterprising Canadians decided to push the absurdity even further.

They began by listing a bag of “Canadian fresh air” on eBay, earning a modest $122 US for the novelty. The unexpected demand sparked a business plan: ship canned air to regions plagued by severe pollution, notably Beijing.

By 2015, the duo was moving hundreds of bottles, each priced between $10 and $20, to Chinese consumers desperate for a breath of clean air. A shipment of 500 cans sold out, and a follow‑up batch of 700 was on its way.

Fast forward to 2019, and the venture was pulling in over $300,000 annually, with sales spreading to South Korea and online marketplaces. Each can includes a mask and delivers enough air for roughly 160 breaths—proof that even the most whimsical jokes can become profitable enterprises.

6 Newman’s Own Salad Dressing Began As a Joke

Newman’s Own, the salad‑dressing brand that has amassed more than $200 million in sales by 2021, owes its origin to a light‑hearted experiment between Hollywood legend Paul Newman and a close friend.

According to biographer A. E. Hotchner, Newman visited his friend’s garage just before Christmas 1980 and discovered an impromptu kitchen setup: ingredients for a massive batch of dressing, but no proper mixing tool. In a fit of improvisation, Newman grabbed a canoe paddle, whisked the concoction, and poured the result into wine bottles intended as Christmas gifts for friends.

The duo never intended to commercialize the mixture; it was simply a festive pastime. Yet the dressing proved delicious, and within two years the pair formalized the venture, founding Newman’s Own. The brand has since become a charitable powerhouse, donating all post‑tax profits to various causes.

5 Frosted Light Bulbs Were a Prank Assignment From GE Until Someone Made One

New employees at General Electric in the early 20th century often fell victim to hazing rituals, one of which involved the impossible task of creating a reliable frosted glass light bulb. The challenge was a running joke: engineers had tried for years to produce a frosted bulb that wouldn’t shatter during installation, and none had succeeded.

When Marvin Pipkin joined GE in 1919, senior staff assigned him the same prank‑like mission. Rather than dismiss it, Pipkin tackled the problem head‑on. A sudden phone call caused him to spill a bit of acid onto a bulb prototype, inadvertently creating a frosted surface that remained sturdy.

Within weeks, Pipkin had cracked the code, delivering a durable frosted bulb that could be mass‑produced. His breakthrough turned a workplace joke into a commercial success, illuminating homes worldwide for decades to come.

4 Comedian Hamish Blake Won a Bodybuilding Competition Despite Not Being a Bodybuilder

Sometimes a prank escalates into an unexpected victory. Australian comedian Hamish Blake decided to enter the 2011 New York State bodybuilding contest purely for laughs, despite lacking any serious training or physique.

Blake’s size placed him as the sole competitor in the heavyweight division, meaning he faced no rivals. Judges, bound by competition rules, had to declare the only entrant the winner, regardless of his actual muscular development.

Thus, a joke that began as a tongue‑in‑cheek stunt culminated in Blake being crowned the heavyweight champion—a quirky footnote in bodybuilding history.

3 Wristwatches Were Considered Silly When They First Appeared

Fashion fads rise and fall, but few have endured as completely as the wristwatch. In the early 20th century, personal timepieces were pocket‑sized, attached to chains, and concealed in pockets. The notion of wearing a clock on one’s wrist was initially dismissed as a frivolous novelty.

World War I changed that perception. Soldiers needed quick, hands‑free access to the time for coordinated maneuvers, prompting the adoption of wrist‑worn watches on the battlefield.

A 1916 New York Times article dubbed the emerging trend “bracelets with clocks in them,” labeling it a “silly ass fad.” Yet the practical benefits quickly won over civilians, and the once‑mocked accessory became a global standard, shedding its joke‑status forever.

2 The Habeas Corpus Act Allegedly Passed Based on a Joke

Habeas corpus—protecting individuals from unlawful detention—stands as a cornerstone of modern legal systems. Yet an oft‑repeated anecdote claims that the 1679 English Habeas Corpus Act survived a vote only because of a mischievous calculation.

Legend holds that the bill’s passage was razor‑thin, prompting a group of lords to joke that a particularly rotund supporter’s vote should count as ten. Accepting the jest, they tallied his single vote as ten, nudging the act past the required majority by four or five votes.

While historians debate the veracity of the story, the tale persists, illustrating how a light‑hearted quip may have helped cement a fundamental legal protection.

1 Susanna Salter Was Nominated for Mayor as a Joke

In 1887, Kansas women celebrated their newly won right to vote. In the town of Argonia, a temperance‑driven group of women gathered to discuss political action, while a handful of anti‑temperance men attended the same meeting.

The men, aiming to mock the women, secretly convened later and fabricated ballots that listed Susanna Salter—a respected community member—as a mayoral candidate. Their intention was to ridicule the notion of a woman seeking office, assuming voters would scoff at the idea.

Contrary to their expectations, the community rallied behind Salter, and she secured a decisive 60 percent of the vote, becoming the first female mayor in the United States. What began as a derisive joke turned into a historic breakthrough for women’s political participation.

April Fool’s Day has been observed in one form or another for hundreds of years. Some of the tricks and jokes played on the day are simple and harmless, while others can be oddly elaborate and mean spirited. In modern times, you can count on newspapers, businesses and websites to run fake stories every April Fool’s Day, making everyone a little paranoid about what can and can’t be believed that day.

As it happens, every so often, one of those pranks or jokes really strikes a chord with people. Then the joke is less that it was played at all and more that people got really excited by the possibility of it being true, which has led to more than one joke finding its way into the real world.

This is an encore of one of our previous lists, as presented by our YouTube host Simon Whistler. Read the full list!

Everybody loves a good prank! Pranks are supposed to be a harmless way to play a joke on a friend or family member in an innocuous and good-natured way. However, small pranks sometimes start “prank wars,” causing the practical jokes to spiral out of control, becoming mean and dangerous.

While a good prank is a work of art, some jokesters just don’t know when to stop! Others simply should never have started pranking in the first place. Our list today includes 10 practical jokes that went too far. These “hilarious” pranksters touch on political corruption, lacing drugs into baked goods, fake national disasters, and pregnancy. What a gas!

As we go through this list of ill-advised pranks, remember this advice. When it comes to practical jokes, less is almost always more. Also, consider safety because none of the pranks below ended the way the jokesters thought they would. Let’s get into it!

10 Richard Nixon Running for President in 1992?

The first prankster on our list decided to take things way too far. As we all know, religion and politics are two things people do not take lightly. A fake presidential candidate? Sure, that could be funny. But, this practical joker took things to a whole new level by deciding to impersonate one of the most infamous presidents in United States history.

In 1992, this prankster claimed to be the notorious Richard Nixon. He conducted a radio interview with NPR, in which he said that he was running for president. In the interview, he doubled down on his famous “I am not a crook!” statement and said he “never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.”

While I can admit that is a funny thing to say (and made even funnier with a convincing Nixon impersonation), it was not funny when thousands of people thought that the disgraced Republican was actually re-seeking the presidency.

9 Pot-Laced Muffins

All sorts of “senior pranks” have backfired in high schools across the country, but this one takes the cake. Or at least the muffin.

Two Dallas area high school students decided to bake up some special treats for their high school faculty. These weren’t ordinary muffins; the students laced them with a secret ingredient: marijuana. Reportedly the two seniors put their special muffins into the teacher’s lounge. Obviously, the muffins looked tasty because many teachers ate them. However, the boys must have done something wrong because 19 staff members had to take trips to the emergency room in the aftermath. It is safe to say that this prank did not go how the students intended.

8 UFO Sighting in Jafr, Jordan?

With some of these pranks, it is really hard to figure out what the “jokesters” were thinking. The next prank falls squarely into that category.

Being the editor of a newspaper in a small city in Jordan is probably a challenging job. What are the best ways to draw people to your city and attract tourists? Here are three possibilities: writing about improved infrastructure, local festivals, and beautiful architecture. In 2010, the local newspaper of Jafr, Jordan, took a different approach—an otherworldly one.

In order to draw attention to their city, the newspaper ran an article indicating that a UFO had landed near their fair city. Instead of increasing interest, this article caused panic. The mayor of Jafr evacuated more than 10,000 people. While it is hard to figure out exactly what the newspaper was thinking, at least the article was printed on April Fools Day, so maybe that should have been a clue to the citizens of Jafr.

7 Exploding Chair Gag

A couple that pranks together also laughs and… sometimes cries together. The next prank on our list comes from a couple of professional prankers. Comedian Robin Armstrong and his girlfriend had a YouTube channel where they would share the various pranks that they played on one another. His girlfriend came up with a prank she thought their subscribers would love.

Armstrong’s girlfriend rigged a chair to explode, planning for it to launch Armstrong into a pool. While Armstrong did not see the prank coming, when the chair exploded, things went awry. He was shot more than 10 feet (3 meters) into the air and did not land in the pool. Instead, he landed on the ground and broke his back. The fortunate news for this prankster couple is that Armstrong did not suffer any permanent damage, although he had to spend several weeks at the hospital.

6 Covered Stop Sign

Maybe it is just me, but I have never seen much humor in messing with traffic signs that are designed to keep everyone safe. I guess I am not cut out to be a prankster!

Two teenage boys near Columbus, Ohio, thought traffic signs did not provide them with enough entertainment and decided to make some adjustments. They covered a stop sign (arguably the most important of all traffic signs) and made it so drivers could not see it. The teenage pranksters did this by wrapping the stop sign completely with plastic wrap and petroleum jelly. They were so proud of the work that they even talked about it on social media.

Fortunately, many drivers were familiar with the area and stopped, even without a visible sign. But, eventually, their luck ran out. Two elderly sisters were driving and did not see the stop sign (thanks to this prank). The vehicle was struck by oncoming traffic and killed the passenger immediately, while the driver eventually had to have her leg amputated above the knee.

Both pranksters were eventually held accountable for their actions, taking guilty pleas for reckless homicide.

5 Pregnancy Prank

The next prank on our list is a two-parter! It took place on the most famous of pranking holidays, April Fools Day, in 2013. Strap in because this one is extra ridiculous! These pranks relate to a young couple in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, Tori Wheeler, an 18-year-old, came up with a two-part practical joke to play on her boyfriend (at the time) Derek Bauer.

Wheeler’s premise was pretty straightforward. She told Bauer that she was pregnant. However, Wheeler was far from finished. Bauer did not respond to her practical joke in the way she liked, so Wheeler pulled out a knife. The police were called before anyone was hurt, but Wheeler claimed that she pulled the knife out as a prank, too!

All kidding aside, this prank clearly went too far, and we should all be thankful that no one was injured.

4 Twins Prank a Bank

Throughout this list, we have seen pranks on politics, road signs, knives, and pregnancies. What else is hilarious? That’s right, robbing a bank!

The twin pranksters Alex and Alan Stokes thought of this inarguably clever and funny idea. The twins at least had the wisdom not to go inside the bank to attempt their practical joke. They brought their own cash (in bags) and had masks covering their face outside the bank’s front entrance. Then, they called an Uber driver who was intended to be the prank victim. Like a reasonable citizen, the Uber driver refused to give a ride to two people who appeared to have robbed a bank.

Nearby observers must not have gotten the joke, as the police were called on the twins. The police were kind and let the boys go. However, they couldn’t let this funny joke die and tried it again the same day. This time, they were charged. For supposedly professional pranksters with a significant YouTube following, this practical joke was poorly thought out and went way too far.

3 Blue Hill Eruption?

Next on our list is a prank from a Boston television news segment. It took place on April Fools Day back in 1980. Producer Homer Cilley created an entire broadcast as a prank.

In the report, the news station alerted citizens about a hill in nearby Milton, Massachusetts. It indicates that (although it is just a hill and has never shown any seismic activity) the Great Blue Hill was beginning to erupt. The newscasters described the lava and danger in great detail. There were also warnings from the American president at the time, Jimmy Carter.

As the cherry on top, the producer also included real volcano footage to really sell his prank. Well, it worked! Citizens definitely thought there was a volcanic eruption and panicked, many taking out their ire on the TV station. Cilley was fired for the practical joke.

2 Students Try to Teach Their Teachers a Lesson

Three high school pranksters from Brooklyn had a similar prank to number nine above, but it was far more malicious. The students made some tasty cakes for their teachers. These were covered on top with what appeared to be red candy. The candy? It was actually a laxative!

As you might expect, none of the teachers found this prank amusing. Five reported significant health concerns. To be honest, I don’t know how these practical jokers ever expected this prank to go any differently. They are just fortunate that nobody got more seriously hurt.

1 Gas Prank (Not What You’re Thinking)

We have another butt-related prank as the final item on our list. This one involves a specific tool used in manufacturing, compressed air. Compressed air is used for a variety of things in manufacturing. It is not intended to be used for practical jokes.

The compressed air comes with enormous force, enough to push through the skin. In 2018, in Japan, one man thought it would be funny to use the air unconventionally. He directed the compressed air toward a colleague’s backside. The results, as you might expect, were horrific. The air shot through the victim’s clothes and into his body, all the way into his lungs. This led to his eventual death.

Remember, keeping pranks small and harmless is the way to keep them funny..