Some people are satisfied with just stretching some Saran wrap over the toilet bowl. And then there’s these epic April 1 pranks:

10) San Serrife: In 1977, The Guardian newspaper printed a supplement advertising a beautiful semicolon shaped island resort. But it was just a prank by the font-obsessed staff.

9) Leaning Tower of Pisa: A TV news program in Holland announced the famous tower had fallen down, leading to a flood of calls to the station.

BMW Goes to Mars: As part of their annual April 1 hoax, BMW reported that MINI cars would be used in an upcoming mission to Mars.

7) Gravity Shmavity: In 1976 a British astronomer announced on BBC radio that two planets would align at 9:47 am, leading to a temporary lessening of gravity. He invited listeners to jump in the air at the precise moment.

6) Left-Handed Whopper: In 1998, Burger King took out an ad in USA Today announcing a new item had been added to the menu that included all the regular ingredients, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of the left-handed. Thousands of customers requested the new burger.

5) Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers: In 1995, Discover magazine reported the discovery of a new species of arctic-dwelling critters with a plate on their head that warmed up enough to melt through ice.

A hotheaded naked ice borer (Image from Discover magazine)

4) Spaghetti Tree: In 1957, the BBC aired a report about a bumper spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. They aired footage of the annual “Harvest Festival”, and discussed the correct way to grow spaghetti of a proper length.

3) Sidd Finch: A 1985 Sports Illustrated article discussed a pitching phenom named Sidd Finch who could throw at 168mph (65mph faster than the record).

2) Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, Taco Bell announced they had bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell.

1) Smell-o-Vision: In 1965, the BBC announced they were conducting a series of tests to transmit odor over the airwaves to all viewers. A whole bunch of viewers contact them to report on the test’s success.

Been victimized by a particularly zesty prank? Forget the pain – play some online slots now.

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