The Museum of Hoaxes
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April Fool's Day Content
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April Fool: Recurring Pranks
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April Fool's Day Archive, Contents:
Before 1900: Origin of April Fool's Day | 1700-1799 | 1800-1899
Early 1900s: 1900 | 1901 | 1915 | 1919 | 1920 | 1923 | 1925
1930s & 40s: 1933 | 1934 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1940 | 1949
1950s & 60s: 1950 | 1957 | 1959 | 1960 | 1962 | 1965 | 1969
1970s: 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979
1980s: 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989
1990s: 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999
2000s: 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
2010s: 2010 | 2011
category
Loof Lirpa
Hawkeye Cameras Catch Speeders (2004)
The Sun reported that hawks outfitted with miniature cameras would be used to catch speeding drivers:
They will swoop on vehicles and film them with strapped-on mini cameras developed by the BBC for wildlife programmes. Officers watching monitors will see a speed readout --and even registration numbers and tax discs. The Hawkeye system has had successful trials on the M40 in Oxfordshire, where PCs Mark Dalton and Otto Hergt put two birds through their paces… Paolo Firl, of the Italian makers, said: 'We are very pleased. We have shown it can be done.' But motorist Andy Pinder, 45, said: 'We're already persecuted, now we're being hunted.'

Categories: Technology, Traffic and Transportation, Birds, Newspapers, United Kingdom, 2004, Loof Lirpa.
Species Restaurant (2003)
The Sydney Morning Herald reviewed Species restaurant in their Good Living supplement. This unusual dining establishment allowed diners to sample animals featured on the World Wildlife Fund's endangered list. Among its specialties: braised slices of hairy nosed wombat, yellow spotted tree frog kebabs and Sumatran Rhino steaks. The owner of the restaurant was named April Phewell.
Categories: Animals, Food and Drink, Newspapers, Australia, 2003, Loof Lirpa.
Soccer Star Yardis Alpolfo (2003)
Alex McLeish, manager of the Scotish football club Rangers, announced that he had signed Yardis Alpolfo, a seventeen-year-old Turkish player, to a £5 million deal. Many news organizations, including Reuters, reported the story. Yardis Alpolfo was an anagram of "April Fool's Day."
Categories: Sports, United Kingdom, Scotland, 2003, Loof Lirpa.
Royalty Fees for Impersonations (2001)
The London Sunday Telegraph reported that a new European law would grant individuals the right to own their voice and distinctive mannerisms. As a consequence, comedians and impressionists would be forced to pay royalties to those they imitated. Politicians, actors, and other public figures who are frequently imitated by satirists could therefore begin to receive substantial payments in addition to their regular income. Impressionists anticipated that the ruling would present a serious challenge to their livelihood. The ruling apparently arose from a case involving a French singer, Yves Gainsbourg, who claimed that other entertainers were profiting by imitating his idiosyncratic stage manner, "described as a cross between Tom Jones and Charles Aznavour." The ruling would extend even to "end-of-pier shows, where journeymen comedians still make careers out of impersonating Norman Wisdom, Mick Jagger and Boy George." The Finnish European Commssioner, Larip Loof, was quoted as saying that the ruling was "a logical progression" from existing laws covering intellectual property rights. The ruling was scheduled to become law on April 1, 2003.
Categories: Newspapers, United Kingdom, 2001, Loof Lirpa, Stupid Laws.
Y2K solved (1999)
The Singapore Straits Times reported that a 17-year-old student from Singapore called Jack Hon Si Yue had created a small computer program that could solve the Y2K problem (caused by the inability of older computers to distinguish between 1900 and 2000). The teenager, described as being camera-shy and a C student, was said to have worked out the Y2K solution in 29 minutes while solving an algebra problem for his homework. Jack showed the solution to his father who, in turn, presented it to a technology consulting group known as Gardner. The student's family and the Gardner group then formed a joint venture called Polo Flair to commercialize the solution. Revenues from the joint venture were expected to top $50 million by September, 1999. The Straits Times received numerous calls from journalists and computer specialists seeking more information about the story. One television journalist wanted to know if Jack Hon Si Yue could be persuaded to go on TV, despite the fact that he was camera-shy. Clues that the article was a joke included the name of the joint venture, Polo Flair (an anagram for April Fool) and Jack's name, Si Yue, which means "April" in Chinese.
Categories: Technology, Computers, Newspapers, Singapore, 1999, Loof Lirpa.
Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers (1995)
Discover magazine published an article detailing the discovery by wildlife biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo of a fascinating new species: the hotheaded naked ice borer. Dr. Pazzo, the article explained, encountered this creature while studying penguins in Antarctica. She noticed a frightened penguin rapidly sinking into the ice, and when she pulled the hapless creature out of the rapidly growing slush pool, she found small, bizarre animals attached to its lower body. They were about half a foot long, and quite light. Their unique feature was a bony plate on their head that they could cause to become burning hot, allowing them to bore tunnels through the ice at high speeds, "much faster than a penguin can waddle." Packs of them would rapidly melt the ice beneath a penguin, causing it to sink into the slush, at which point they would surround the creature and consume it.

Dr. Pazzo hypothesized that the hotheads might have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837. "To the ice borers, he would have looked like a penguin," she was quoted as saying. Discover received an enormous amount of mail in response to this article. The responses of most readers were very tongue-in-cheek, but a few readers were annoyed that Discover had taken liberties with the trust of its readers. (For more details, see article: Hotheaded Naked Ice Borer.)
Categories: Science, Fictitious Creatures, Magazines and Journals, Scientists, United States, 1995, Loof Lirpa.
Ostrich Buries Its Head in the Sand (1994)
The Daily Mail published a photograph showing an ostrich burying its head in the sand, under the headline "The picture that will give all sceptics the bird." An accompanying article explained:

Despite years of trying, wildlife experts had been unable to find a single witness to confirm that the world's largest bird indulges in the extraordinary habit featured in the saying. Today, however, the Daily Mail can reveal that it does. Our picture means the sceptics can bury their heads in the sand no longer. It was taken by British wildlife photographer Jones Bloom, who ventured into the heart of Africa in his quest for the truth. He made contact with the Chostri Setear, a little-known tribe of the central Kalahari region whose members understand the ways of the ostrich better than any other people on earth... This week, after four years spent trying to win the tribe's confidence, Bloom was at last invited to accompany the Chostri Setear on a hunting expedition deep inside Ofolri Lap National Park...
'It was an astonishing experience,' Bloom said yesterday. 'For three hours we crept through the bush. When at last we spotted an ostrich, the lion cub ran straight at it. As soon as the bird saw it, it dived beak-first into the sand.'
As the photographer moved in to take his historic picture, the lion began to roar and the tribesmen bellowed their victory chant.
'Yet through it all,' said Bloom, 'the ostrich remained immobile, head buried, apparently convinced it had become invisible.
'At least I didn't have to ask it to keep still for the camera.'
Categories: Animals, Newspapers, United Kingdom, 1994, Loof Lirpa, Daily Mail.
Driver’s Weight Sensors (1989)
BMW announced a new anti-theft device that would soon be available on its cars—Driver's Weight Sensors (DWS). The device would recognize the weight of the driver, and if a driver with a different weight attempted to start the car they would be greeted by gongs and flashing headlamps while a hidden radio signal contacted the police. Interested readers were instructed to contact Hugh Phelfrett at BMW.
Categories: Technology, Cars, Businesses, 1989, Loof Lirpa, BMW.
The Dinosaur Vine (1989)
Garden News magazine revealed that a prehistoric plant had been discovered growing out of a fossilised stegosaurus dropping found preserved within a Mojave Desert cave. The plant, dubbed the dinosaur vine, was being studied by Professor Adge Ufult (say it out loud).
Categories: Botany, Science, Magazines and Journals, United States, 1989, Loof Lirpa.
Around the World for 210 Guineas (1972)
1972 was the 100-year anniversary of Thomas Cook’s first round the world travel tour. To commemmorate the occasion, the London Times ran a full article (top) about Cook’s 1872 tour, in which it noted that the vacation had cost the participants only 210 guineas each, or approximately $575. Of course, inflation had made a similar vacation quite a bit more expensive by 1972. A few pages later, the Times included a small article (bottom) noting that in honor of the 100-year anniversary, the travel agent Thomas Cook was offering 1000 lucky people the chance to buy a similar package deal at 1872 prices. The offer would be given to the first 1000 people to apply. The article noted that applications should be addressed to “Miss Avril Foley.“ The public response to this bargain-basement offer was swift and enthusiastic. Huge lines of people formed outside the Thomas Cook offices, and the travel agent was swamped with calls. Belatedly the Times identified the offer as an April Fool’s joke and apologized for the inconvenience it had caused. The people who had waited in line for hours were, to put it mildly, not amused. The reporter who wrote the article, John Carter, was fired (though he was later reinstated).
Categories: Poorly Received, Newspapers, United Kingdom, 1972, Loof Lirpa, Phony Bargains, London Times.
Soviets Land in Kankakee (1969)
The Daily Journal, based in Kankakee, Illinois, reported that a Soviet space capsule had landed just outside of the city. Apparently the cosmonauts had seriously miscalculated their trajectory during reentry. The Soviet government was said to be keeping its silence about the capsule. An accompanying photograph showed a space capsule with a hammer and sickle displayed on its side. The article said that one of the cosmonauts was named Lirpa Loof, who had been missing for over a year. Many people drove to the supposed site of the landing to see the capsule.


Spacecraft Lands Safely In Kankakee
World headlines are being made in Kankakee today with the first landing of a spaceship on American soil having taken place here.

Air Force and NASA officials are expected momentarily to inspect the ship on N. Hobbie Avenue.

The National Guard has replaced police, firemen and sheriff's deputies who assisted state police with guarding the site early this morning. Arrival of special troops from Ft. Sheridan, Chicago is expected momentarily.

The craft, which landed during the night is thought to be a Russian ship which miscalculated during reentry.

The Russians, who rarely announce space feats until they are well under way, have made no comment to international speculation that the ship is theirs.

The familiar hammer and sickle, symbol painted on the craft, plus the fact that the ship has made a land and not a sea touchdown, has prompted the unconfirmed announcement that the ship does belong to Russia.

Residents of Kankakee reported they were frightened by brilliant lights from the ship about five minutes after the entire Kankakee area was shaken about midnight by what was thought to have been an explosion or heavy sonic boom.

By the time police and firemen arrived at the landing site, the astronauts (or cosmonauts) were pulling the parachute into the craft, locking the doors from the inside.

However, once NASA officials are in charge, it is hoped the ship's occupants can be induced to open the locks and confer with the Americans. Linguists from Chicago are on route to act as interpreters during the interrogation.

Either by accident or pinpoint maneuvering, the landing was effected so intricately that no signs of damage to surrounding property are visible, and no injuries have been reported.

Observers at the scene say there appear to be at least three men aboard who have been seen looking from a window.

Photo Caption: Capsule Landing In Kankakee Startles World
Kankakee is in the headlines today with the unexplained appearance of this spaceship on N. Hobbie Ave. Official photograph of the bizarre occurence is being used by courtesy of Dnamra Keitsrok. One of the cosmonauts is thought to be Russian Lirpa Loof, missing for the past year.
Categories: International Relations, Space and Astronomy, War and Military, Newspapers, United States, 1969, Loof Lirpa.
Lirpa Loof Concert (1961)
The BBC promised radio listeners that they wouldn't want to miss the concert of the "distinguished continental pianist" Lirpa Loof. But when the scheduled time arrived, there was no concert. "Actually, of course, Lirpa Loof is April Fool spelled backward," an announcer explained.
Categories: Music, Radio, United Kingdom, 1961, Loof Lirpa, BBC.