This day in hoax history. June 19, 1812: The Wimbledon Common Grand Military Review. 20,000 people assembled on Wimbledon Common in England to witness a 'Grand Military Review' that pamphlets had promised would occur. When it became clear that no parade was happening the crowd began to grow restless and set fire to the grass. They weren't appeased when officials explained that no parade had ever been planned. The pamphlets were just the work of some mischievous prankster. The crowd continued to grow ever more violent, so violent that the police were not able to contain them. Eventually a detachment of guards was swiftly dispatched from London with orders to parade up and down on the Common, just to satisfy the wishes of the crowd.