The origin of April Fools Day
While the exact origin of April Fool’s Day is not known, there are possible mentions of it in literature and history dating as far back as 1392 in Geoffrey Chaucer’s work, “The Canterbury Tales“. In The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, a cockerel is tricked by a wily fox on the 32nd day of March, or, April 1st. French poet, Eloy d’Amerval refers to the “fish of April” in one of his works from 1508, which may the first reference to April Fools Day in France, while in 1561, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote a story about a nobleman who would send servants on foolish errands on April 1st every year. The tradition of playing pranks on April Fools Day has been a popular custom since the 19th century, and it certainly hasn’t shown any signs of losing its momentum.

https://glampinghub.com/blog/the-best-april-fools-day-pranks/

Joke’s on you, April Fools’ Day…
I can be fooled any day of the year.

Who needs a day for the fools?
I’m surrounded by them all year. 

Excuse me, sir.
Do you think they named April Fool’s Day in your honor?

April Fools’ Day is like a huge open mic night…
Millions of people go out of their way to demonstrate how unfunny they are. 

You should know that no one understood it was an April Fools’ joke…
Because no one expects you to have a sense of humour. 

(for smiley)
My Dad asked my mom to marry him on April Fools Day. She always said the joke’s on him because she said yes!

I don’t always joke on April Fools’ Day…
Just kidding, I do. 

EVERY year newspapers, especially in the UK, have a go at tricking the public with fake stories for April Fool's Day, so keep your eyes peeled and don't believe everything you hear...

Harvest spaghetti (2.5 min)

The spaghetti tree hoax is a famous 3-minute hoax report broadcast on April Fools' Day 1957 by the BBC current affairs programme Panorama. It told a tale of a family in southern Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from the fictitious spaghetti tree, broadcast at a time when this Italian dish was not widely eaten in the UK and some Britons were unaware that spaghetti is a pasta made from wheat flour and water. Hundreds of viewers phoned into the BBC, either to say the story was not true, or wondering about it, with some even asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees. Decades later CNN called this broadcast "the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled."

In 1994, PC Magazine ran a column about a bill making its way through Congress that would prohibit the use of the Internet while intoxicated. Despite the name of the contact person, Lirpa Sloof (“her name spelled backward says it all,” the column concluded), many people took the story seriously. http://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/drunk_driving_on_the_internet

In this now-classic 1996 prank, Taco Bell took out newspaper ads saying it had bought the Liberty Bell “in an effort to help the national debt.” Even some senators were taken in, and the National Park Service even held a press conference to deny the news. At noon, the fast-food chain admitted the joke, along with donating $50,000 for the bell’s care. The value of the joke, of course, was priceless. http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/taco_liberty_bell

Pi is so challenging. How can anybody work with an irrational number that goes on and on and on? Lawmakers in Alabama allegedly thought so, passing a law in 1998 that redefined 3.14159 … to, simply, 3. Though the news was a hoax from a man named Mark Boslough, it became widely disseminated and believed. No wonder: In 1897, the Indiana Legislature attempted to pass a bill establishing pi as 3.2 http://www.nmsr.org/alabama.htm#original

Do you find yourself cringing at the telly when a sex scene comes on? Well fear no more as BBC iPlayer launches a "skip the sex" button.
You'll never have to endure an awkward moment in a family film viewing session again.
The Mirror reported this fake news item this morning, claiming the BBC could also install a "skip Brexit" button.
The feature is designed to help you jump ahead to avoid seeing any sexual activity on screen, as it's not for everyone.
As the show gets steamy, reports claim the button pops up on screen, giving you the option to miss it out.

Now this may best the best fools idea yet...
The Daily Star had a go at convincing readers the NHS would be prescribing free beer to patients, in a new initiative from the Ministry of Health.
From Friday, the report claims, prescriptions for pints of stout will be issued to patients who can convince their local GP they are suffering from anaemia, insomnia, or tiredness.
There's even a comment from Pub Landlord Al Murry: “I’m not exaggerating when I say that beer is the elixir of life. Since the dawn of time beer has accompanied mankind through life’s journey, a loyal friend and companion.”

The Times wrote this morning that drones are the new accessory for busy dog-owners. Or just lazy ones.
They write The Drone Dog Walker has a microphone and a camera, allowing the owner to talk to their dog as the drone walks it.
The device, being sold by Thumbs Up for £200, also has leash control technology in case the dog gets carried away.
The report claims the drone will freeze-dry the dog's business, pop it in a plastic bag and dispose of it, although the trials led to some poo-related mishaps.

Meanwhile The Telegraph writes that April Fool's jokes themselves will be banned - just so Brexit panickers aren't triggered.
In a very self-referential joke, the report claims the law has been made "under an archaic parliamentary order".
They write: "The statute from 1653 states that the issuing of false reports is strictly prohibited and punishable by the splitting of an offender’s ribs."
And the report claims Cabinet Office officials have asked media outlets to refrain from publishing fake news April Fool jokes.

In a video released by Google, they announce you can clean your phone "from the inside out". The new 'Screen cleaner' in the Files app claims to do just that.
They say it uses a smudge detector API to identify imperfections, and geometric dirt models and haptic micro-movement generators to remove dirt, smudges and more.
According to the video, once the phone is clean, internal vibration and haptic controls create micro-vibrations, forming a long-lasting shield around the surface of the phone.

McDonald's has teased fans by appearing to announce a new burger made entirely out of pickles and a bun - but it's just an April Fool's gag.
The fast-food giant claimed it had released a new burger - The McPickle - in Australia.
They posted a short clip on its Instagram account, which looks like a Big Mac but is filled with gherkins instead of beef patties.
The caption read: "Pickle lovers, it's the news you've all been waiting for. We're super stoked to announce the launch of our brand new McPickle Burger.
"It’s time to tuck into juicy, flavoursome pickles layered between melted cheese, ketchup sauce and toasted sesame seed buns.
"It’s sure to be a treat for all your senses."

Don't get caught up in the foolishness, but don't be afraid of foolish fun. Let the merry pranksters carry on and live up to their legends.

In 1964, Ken Kesey bought a twenty-five-year-old bus and outfitted it into a true hippie-mobile so he and his groupie-like followers could travel the country. They named the bus “Furthur”—a purposeful misspelling—and Kesey and his friends, calling themselves the “Merry Band of Pranksters,” customized it with a sound system, an observation turret on top, and motorcycle platform. The bus already had bunk beds, a small kitchen, and a bathroom from its previous owner. With the psychedelic artwork the Pranksters added, Furthur became the perfect symbol of the anti-establishment, free love, enlightenment vibe that characterized Kesey’s life.

Be foolish. Have fun. And feel free to cut up and carry on!