History isn’t just full of battles, treaties, and revolutions. It’s also packed with historic pranks that prove just how gullible, curious, or trusting people can be. From staged scientific breakthroughs to fictional countries, these hoaxes left entire nations scratching their heads. What makes these pranks stand out isn’t just the scale, it’s the fact that they actually worked. Whether driven by humor, satire, or pure mischief, here are eight historic pranks that fooled the world and went down in the record books.
8. Operation Mincemeat
Occuring in 1943, this prank had deadly serious consequences. During WWII, British intelligence planted fake military plans on a corpse dressed as a Royal Marine, which then washed ashore in Spain. The Nazis fell for it, redirecting troops and ultimately aiding the Allied invasion of Sicily. A prank with life-or-death stakes, and it worked.
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7. The Left-Handed Whopper
In 1998, Burger King published a full-page ad in USA Today promoting a Whopper specially designed for left-handed people. Thousands visited the chain requesting the burger, completely unaware it was a joke. It’s one of the most hilarious historic pranks in fast food history.
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6. Taco Liberty Bell
Taco Bell announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell.” People were outraged, until it was revealed to be a marketing stunt for April Fool’s Day 1996. Even the White House got involved, joking that the Lincoln Memorial had been sold to Ford.
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5. The Lirpa Loof at the London Zoo
In 1984, The London Zoo announced the arrival of a new species called the Lirpa Loof, a rare animal from Nepal with backward-facing feet. Reporters arrived with cameras, only to be introduced to a man in a furry costume. The name, “Lirpa Loof,” was simply “April Fool” spelled backward.
4. The Swiss Mountain Cleaners
In an April 1st prank in 2009, the BBC released a video showing Swiss workers scaling the Alps to clean mountain peaks. With actors in climbing gear “wiping snow,” the report was so convincing that viewers didn’t question it. It was a brilliant modern addition to the legacy of historic pranks in media.
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3. Sidd Finch
Sports Illustrated ran a 1985 profile on a mysterious rookie named Sidd Finch who could pitch a baseball at 168 mph, practiced yoga in Tibet, and wore only one shoe. Baseball fans went wild trying to learn more, only to find out it was an elaborate April Fool’s joke. This prank still gets referenced in sports circles today.
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2. The Great Moon Hoax
In 1835, The New York Sun published a series of articles claiming astronomer Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the moon, from bat-like humanoids to unicorns and lush forests. The public was captivated. Only later did they realize it was fake. This remains one of the oldest and most effective historic pranks pulled by a newspaper.
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1. The BBC Spaghetti Tree Hoax
One of the most famous historic pranks ever aired on television, this British news segment showed Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. Viewers flooded the BBC with calls asking how to grow their own pasta plants. It aired on April 1st in 1957 but that didn’t stop thousands from falling for it.
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