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History of April Fools Day Timeline
(c. 1392 - Present)April Fools' Day, celebrated annually on April 1st, is a centuries-old tradition of playing practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Its origins are debated but may trace back to ancient Roman festivals like Hilaria or the medieval Feast of Fools. The holiday spread across Europe and later the world, becoming known for lighthearted deception and even famous media hoaxes. More Less
Origins and Early References
Disputed reference in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
1392
A disputed association between 1 April and foolishness appears in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1392), often cited as one of the earliest possible links between the date and foolishness, though scholars debate whether it truly refers to the holiday.
Image source: April Fools' Day
Eloy d'Amerval references poisson d'avril in France
1508
In 1508, French poet Eloy d'Amerval referred to a poisson d'avril (April fool, literally 'April's fish'), possibly the first reference to the celebration in France. This fish feature is prominently present on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards.
Eduard de Dene poem describes foolish errands on 1 April
1561
An unambiguous reference to April Fools' Day appears in a 1561 poem by Flemish poet Eduard de Dene describing a nobleman who sent his servant on foolish errands on 1 April. This predates France's official adoption of 1 January as New Year's Day, creating issues for the calendar-change theory of the holiday's origin.
Edict of Roussillon moves New Year's Day to 1 January
1564
The use of 1 January as New Year's Day became common in France only in the mid-16th century, and that date was not adopted officially until 1564 by the Edict of Roussillon, as called for during the Council of Trent in 1563. One theory ties April Fools' Day to people who continued celebrating the old new year date.
John Aubrey calls it 'Fooles holy day'
1686
In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the celebration as 'Fooles holy day', the first British reference to April Fools' Day.
Public Advertiser describes Jewish origin theory of the custom
Apr 13, 1789
The Public Advertiser of 13 April 1789 contained a paragraph describing a humorous Jewish origin of making fools on the first of April, tracing it to Noah mistakenly sending the dove out of the Ark before the waters had abated, with forgetful people punished by being sent on sleeveless errands.
Famous Hoaxes and Pranks
Tower of London 'see the Lions washed' prank
Apr 1, 1698
On 1 April 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to 'see the Lions washed', one of the best-documented early April Fools' pranks in Britain.
Key Facts
- One of the earliest literary references to April Fools' Day appears in Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' (c. 1392), in the 'Nun's Priest's Tale'.
- A popular theory links the holiday to 16th-century France, when people who continued celebrating the old New Year around April 1st after the calendar reform were mocked as 'April fools'.
- In Scotland, April Fools' Day was traditionally called 'Huntigowk Day', involving sending people on foolish errands ('hunt the gowk').
- In 1957, the BBC famously aired a hoax news report showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees, fooling many viewers.
- Today, April Fools' Day is celebrated worldwide with pranks by individuals, companies, and media outlets, though countries like France ('poisson d'avril') add unique local traditions.
Source
This History of April Fools Day timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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