April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day (or All Fools Day) has many roots in history. The French Celebrated it when The calendar was changed in 1564. April 1st previously was New Years Day, and jokes were played on the fools celebrating the old new year.

Other feasts of fools can be found with the romans and medieval monasteries. The abbot or bishop was replaced for a day by a common monk who sent the bishops and others off to do ridiculous or menial tasks.

Regardless of it's beginnings All Fools day has become a day of pranks and fools errands. Children announce that "Your shoe is untied." and then shout "April Fool!"

Media gags and fake headlines are common. Sometimes the hoaxes are pretty elaborate. Among the most renowned are:

• The 1957 Swiss Spaghetti Harvest - A BBC documentary was aired, featuring the harvest of a bumper crop from the spaghetti trees.
• Sidd Finch's 165 mph fastball in 1985 Sport's Illustrated
• 1996 Taco Bell buys the Liberty Bell
• 1998 Alabama changes the value of pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0.