Today in History: April Fool!

April fools and April showers
Today in History–April 1–the Library of Congress features April Fools’ Day. Although the origins of this fun-filled holiday are unclear, it’s a great chance to play harmless jokes on friend. In France the fooled person is called poisson d’avril (“April fish”) and in Scotland the person is called a gowk (cuckoo), the symbol of a simpleton. Find more stories about April Fools’ Day by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more April fool primary sources.

April Fools’ Day from America’s Library

April fool images

Topics in Chronicling America: April Fools’ Day

More April Fool’s Day historical newspaper coverage

April Fools: A Farce in One Act for Three Male Characters

The Party Book – “April Fool”

How Snipe Hunting Was Invented

Library blog posts

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Origin of April Fool’s Day