1508 / Poet Eloy d'Amerval refers to Poisson d'Avril (April fish), the French term for April fools.
1539 / Flemish writer Eduard de Dene publishes a comic poem about a nobleman who sends his servants on "foolish" errands on April 1.
1698 / One of the earliest April Fools' stunts: People are invited to go to the Tower of London to see the "annual ceremony of washing the lions."
1789 / Residents of horse-free Venice wake on April 1 to find Piazza San Marco dotted with piles of horse manure.
1992 / Posing as Richard Nixon, impressionist Rich Little announces his candidacy for U.S. president on NPR's Talk of the Nation, saying, "I never did anything wrong, and I won't do it again."
1993 / A German radio station reports that Cologne officials have outlawed joggers running faster than six mph so as not to disturb mating squirrels.
2002 / A U.K. supermarket advertises genetically modified "whistling carrots." Tapered airholes cause them to whistle when cooked.
2009 / British newspaper the Guardian announces it will publish only stories of fewer than 140 characters, via Twitter. Here's how it would have covered the 1939 invasion of Poland: "OMG Hilter invades Poland, allies declare war, see tinyurl.com/b5x6e for more."
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