10 “Fun” April Fool’s Day Facts

AprilFoolsFacts
April Fool’s Day is the day we all race to our favorite websites to see what silly pranks they have to play on their devoted followers.  However, we seldom take time out of our busy pranking schedule to consider the truly remarkable history behind the most foolish day of the year.

As any schoolchild can tell you, April Fool’s Day was first recognized in the United States on April first, 1841 by President William Henry Harrison.  The day was marked by what has become the traditional meal of vegetarian flank steak and poached salmon wings.  The establishment of the day as a Federal Holiday is considered by many to be the most significant achievement of President Harrison’s administration, rivaled only by his death three days later, thirty days after taking office.  (As an aside, many American workers do not realize that April Fool’s Day is a Federal Holiday.  Companies are required to either give employees the day off, or double pay.  If your workplace does not adhere to this policy, you should take it up with your supervisor, human resources department, or OSHA.)

Here are some more facts about April Fool’s Day:

  1. Although conversion of dates to the Gregorian calendar can be problematic, many historians agree that April first, 634 BC is the date that future Babylonian king Nubuchadnezzar II was born. (His name was an obvious prank on all scribes that would have to carve such a ridiculously long name into solid granite.)

  2. The Catholic Church recognizes April first as the feast day of Saint Venantius of Spalato, the martyred Bishop of Dalmatia.

  3. Traditionally, today marks the beginning of the Spaghetti Harvest in Switzerland

  4. Born on April Fool’s Day: professional wrestler Randy Orton, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, rapper Kid Ink, German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck, author Anne McCaffery, New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne, founding member of the Montreal Expos and long time New York Met Rusty Staub, Cat People actress Annette O’Toole, and 13th Century Japanese Emperor Go-Saga.

  5. Traditional date of the “Cleaning of the Lions” at the Tower of London.

  6. First shots fired at the Battle of Appomattox, the final battle of the American Civil War in 1865.  General Lee would surrender eight days later on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the war.

  7. Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1977.

  8. Dr. Martens releases his first boot, the Model 1460 in 1960.

  9. In 1789, the United States House of Representatives holds quorum for the first time, electing Frederick Muhlenberg as its first Speaker of the House.

  10. Mathematically, according to the Gregorian Calendar, April 1st can never fall on a Thursday or a Sunday, due to the inclusion of Leap Years.

The catch here is some of these are true and some are pranks.  Can you guess which is which?

Big Dog Den’s Special Bonus: Can you find the following vampire words hidden in the above post?

VAMPIRE  BLOOD  CONGEAL  NOSFERATU  DRACULA  COFFIN  CAPE

Have Fun!

About Big Poppa Pete 15 Articles
Among Loud Idiots fans, Big Poppa Pete is known as “The Hot One,” not for his obvious physical attractiveness, but because his internal body temperature is over 5,000 degrees Centigrade. That’s hotter than most white dwarf stars, even Peter Dinklage. BPP is so hot, that the air in a four yard radius around him melts. Yes, the air melts. He also enjoys stamp collecting.