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From television revealing that spaghetti grows on trees to advertisements for the left-handed burger, the tradition of April Fool's Day stories in the media has a weird and wonderful history. Here are a few of the top April Fool's Day pranks ever pulled off:
-- In 1957, a BBC television show announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.
-- In 1996, American fast-food chain Taco Bell announced that it had bought Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, a historic symbol of American independence, from the federal government and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Outraged citizens called to express their anger before Taco Bell revealed the hoax. Then-White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale and said the Lincoln Memorial in Washington had also been sold and was to be renamed the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial after the automotive giant.
-- In 1998, a newsletter titled New Mexicans for Science and Reason carried an article that the state of Alabama had voted to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to the "Biblical value" of 3.0.
-- Burger King, another American fast-food chain, published a full-page advertisement in USA Today in 1998 announcing the introduction of the "Left-Handed Whopper," specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new burger included the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. The chain said it received thousands of requests for the new burger, as well as orders for the original "right-handed" version.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Barack Obama's view of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the Democratic contender responded that GOP policies brought the terrorist group there. The rapid-fire, long-distance exchange underscored that the two consider each other likely general election rivals, even though the Democratic contest remains unresolved.
McCain criticized Obama for saying that, after U.S. troops were withdrawn, as president he would act "if al-Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq."
"I have some news. Al-Qaeda is in Iraq. It's called 'al-Qaeda in Iraq,"' McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas, drawing laughter at Obama's expense. He said Obama's statement was "pretty remarkable." Click here to hear ABC Newsman Sam Donaldson's interview with Grant and Amanda.
The Reverend Pat Robertson says passers-by did some double-takes when they saw him filming an ad with the Reverend Al Sharpton and former Vice President Al Gore. The ad for Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection is set on a beach, with Robertson and Sharpton saying they "strongly disagree" about a lot of things, but agree on the need to care for the Earth. On Monday's broadcast of "The 700 Club," Robertson said that when the filming was done, the three of them prayed together at Gore's urging. Click here to hear the ad.
It looks like National Geographic, complete with the signature yellow border and "wild animals." So what is Paris Hilton doing on the cover? The folks at Harvard Lampoon are taking a poke at National Geographic with their April Fool's parody. They even got help from the magazine itself. Harvard Lampoon co-editor Ross Arbes says National Geographic agreed to help print the parody and distribute it. The parody will be displayed alongside the Geographic's real April edition.
