Today in History: April Fool!
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
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
“How Snipe Hunting Was Invented“
Library blog posts
- 10 Stories: April Fool! Chronicling America Timeless Stories from the Library
- April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition Folklife Today
- April Fools on the Folklife Today Podcast Folklife Today
- April Fools’ Day Quiz – Star Trek Court Cases (answers) In Custodia Legis
- Don’t Be Fooled by Primary Sources Teaching with the Library
- Primary Sources and April Fool’s Day: The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 Teaching with the Library
- VHP Collection Spotlight: April Fools! Folklife Today