Trivia Today - Monday, March 31, 2014

Greetings Infomaniacs,

Tomorrow is April 1st....more commonly recognized as April Fools' Day! Are you planning to play some pranks on anyone?

What is the best prank you have ever pulled on someone on April Fools' Day? Please feel free to share and I might include them in upcoming columns! Send them to me by Emailing Melissa

Today I have for you some famous pranks pulled off by companies over the years. I would say be careful about believing anything you hear or read tomorrow!

Enjoy!
Melissa

P.S. Did you miss an issue? You can read every issue from the Gophercentral library of newsletters on our exhaustive archives page. Thousands of issues, all of your favorite publications in chronological order. You can read AND comment. Just click GopherArchives

Questions? Comments? Email Melissa


WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Humor is reason gone mad."

HINT: (1890-1977), American comedian, actor and singer, known as a master of quick wit and widely considered one of the best comedians of the modern era.


RANDOM TIDBITS
While some historians speculate that April Fool's Day dates back to 1582, the annual tradition was popularized by English pranksters in 1700 by playing practical jokes on each other.

In the 18th century, people in Scotland celebrated the occasion in two days. The first day involved sending phony errands, while the second one included pranks such as pinning "kick me" signs on people's buttocks.

Google has been consistent in its April Fool's pranks. Some examples: "officially" changing its name to "Topeka" in 2010, and releasing a new product in 2011 called "Gmail Motion" that supposedly lets users send and receive e-mails using gestures.

In 1998, fast food giant Burger King introduced a "Left-Handed Whopper" as an April Fool's Day prank. The burger supposedly included the usual condiments in Burger King's original Whopper sandwich, but these were "rotated 180 degrees" to suit left-handed customers.

In 1976, BBC radio astronomer Patrick Moore said that at 9:47 a.m., Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, causing a gravitational alignment that would temporarily reduce Earth's gravity. He told his listeners to jump at exactly that time to experience a strange floating sensation - which did not happen.

In 1957, some decades before the planetary alignment prank, BBC pulled another April Fool's joke by reporting about "spaghetti crops." Millions were duped by the report, with many of them asking how they can grow their own spaghetti trees.

(http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/)


*** Weekly Mind-Scrambler ***
I start with an E, end with an E, and have a letter in me.
What am I?

Submit your answer by clicking: HERE

Answer will be posted in Friday's Trivia Today. Good Luck!

If your name appears in Friday's newsletter, EMAIL MICHELE your complete name and address to be shipped your prize. Be sure to put "Winner" in the subject line.


WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Humor is reason gone mad."

ANSWER: Groucho Marx.

***
Missed an Issue? Visit the Trivia Today Archives