The Best April Fool's Day Pranks In History

With April Fool's around the corner, we bring you some of the best April Fool's Day Pranks in history. The fun list compiled by a US Museum includes everything from a television program revealing that spaghetti grows on trees to advertisements for the left-handed burger.

 A 1957 BBC television program announced that thanks to a mild winter, Swiss farmers were enjoying a record 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.

 In 1976, British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on the radio that at 9:47 am, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event, in which Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, would cause a gravitational alignment that would reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment of the planetary alignment, they would experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people called in to report feeling the amazing sensation.

 In 1985, Sports Illustrated magazine published a story that a rookie baseball pitcher who could reportedly throw a ball at 168 miles per hour was set to join the New York Mets. The player was said to have learned his amazing skill in a Tibetan monastery. Mets fans' didn't find it too funny once it was revealed to be a prank.

 In 1992, US National Public Radio announced that Richard Nixon was running for president again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." They even had clips of Nixon announcing his candidacy. Listeners flooded the show with calls expressing their outrage. Nixon's voice actually turned out to be that of impersonator Rich Little.

 In 1998, Burger King published a full-page ad in USA Today 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.

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