On April 1, 1700, English pranksters popularized the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day. The tradition of a day for practical jokes continues. In Scotland, they send people on phony errands (“hunting the gowk”). In the U.S. in 1996, the fast food chain, Taco Bell, duped people by announcing it had purchased Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and would rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper.” Many customers came in to order it.
