In 1957, the BBC ran a segment about Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees—many viewers believed it. A popular prank in Sweden told TV viewers in 1962 that they could convert black-and-white TVs to color by pulling a nylon stocking over the screen. In 1998, Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” designed for left-handed people—customers requested it in droves.

Google has a long tradition of wild april first fools day jokes, including announcing a job opening on the moon. In 1976, British astronomer Patrick Moore said gravity would momentarily drop—hundreds of people called in saying they felt lighter. Taco Bell once claimed to have bought the Liberty Bell to reduce the national debt, renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell.”

One april first fools day prank claimed that YouTube would shut down and was actually just a contest running since 2005. In 2015, CERN physicists announced the discovery of the Force, yes—the Star Wars kind. Edison invented a voice-powered sewing machine… said a fake 1878 article by the New York Graphic.

IKEA once launched a high chair for dogs on april first fools day—called the "HUNDSTOL." In 2014, NPR posted a link titled “Why doesn’t America read anymore?” and those who clicked didn’t find an article—just a test to see who actually reads. A zoo in Germany claimed it had a penguin that could fly—video included a penguin on a plane.

In 2010, YouTube turned its site upside down—literally—and encouraged users to rotate their screens. A Finnish newspaper once claimed that the country would switch driving to the right-hand side, effective immediately. Twitter teased a vow to remove vowels from the platform on april first fools day—nly cnsonnts wld rmn.

One April 1st, Google claimed Gmail could be controlled by body movements using “Gmail Motion.” In 1996, a comic article suggested Alabama changed the value of pi to 3.0—it fooled many readers. A radio station reported that the Eiffel Tower was being moved to Disneyland Paris to ease congestion.

In 2008, the BBC showed a video of flying penguins supposedly discovered in Antarctica. An American news outlet said Canada was building a 100-foot wall to keep out spring break tourists. In 2013, Google introduced Google Nose, which allowed you to smell things through your screen.

In the Netherlands, people were once told that lions had escaped from the zoo—some stayed home all day. In 2011, Toshiba joked about launching a 3D monocle for hipsters. An April Fool’s prank once claimed Big Ben was going digital—Londoners were not amused.

In 2019, Duolingo teased an owl-shaped personal trainer app called “Duolingo Push.” A hotel chain offered “canine concierges” trained to check you in and give paw-fives. In 2007, Google Australia announced Google TiSP—a free toilet internet service.

In Japan, april first fools day once featured a story that robots would take over sushi-making—customers demanded them. A newspaper joked that oranges would be banned in schools for being “too bright.” One prank claimed that people could now pay traffic tickets with hugs.

BMW is famous for its car-related april first fools day jokes, like magnetic wheels that rotate based on the driver’s mood. An airline once announced “stand-up seating” to reduce ticket costs—no one laughed at first. In 2010, Kodak said it created a printer that prints smells along with photos.

A university told students it was switching to Roman numerals for grading. A tech company claimed their coffee machine could analyze your DNA. In 2021, Lego pretended to release a vacuum for picking up those dreaded loose bricks.

In 2014, Reddit introduced a “headdit” feature—where users could control scrolling with head movements. A prank video claimed cats were evolving thumbs and preparing to take over. The Smithsonian once claimed to discover unicorn bones in Montana.

Netflix once teased a new original series: "Netflix Live," featuring Will Arnett narrating mundane activities. An article once claimed Mars would appear as large as the moon in the night sky—it still circulates. Amazon jokingly introduced "Petlexa" to let pets order their favorite treats online.

In 2022, a fitness tracker company said its new device could track sarcasm. Spotify teased a feature to auto-create breakup playlists based on your mood and weather. A museum claimed to have found ancient cave paintings of people using smartphones.

A radio station once faked a celebrity spotting by flying a cardboard cutout around town. A university claimed all classes would now be taught on a cruise ship for better student engagement. In 2009, Google introduced “Auto-Commute,” a tool that pretended to predict your commute 45 minutes before you left.

An ice cream company claimed it launched a flavor that changes taste depending on your mood. One april first fools day, a blog claimed cats could now apply for driver’s licenses. A bookstore announced a book that reads itself aloud using internal vibrations.

A company claimed to release “invisible ink pens”—they were just empty pens. In 2023, a gym promoted calorie-free pizza as their new fitness snack. A software firm introduced “bug-powered apps” that fix themselves using real insects.

A phone brand said it created “self-cleaning selfies” that wash your face before snapping. In one prank, elevators were said to be voice-activated—people shouted at doors all day. A pet store advertised goldfish as “starter dragons” for children.

A coffee chain said its new cup could refill itself by absorbing air moisture. A library claimed overdue books could now be returned with “apology haikus.” A dog park announced a squirrel hiring campaign—to boost dog engagement.