April 1, 1582: Pope Gregory XIII Invents April Fools’ Day. Maybe.

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII instituted the (you guessed it) Gregorian Calendar, which moved New Year’s Day from March 32nd (really) to January 1st. People who didn’t know that March 32nd was now April 1st and were still celebrating the old New Year looked pretty foolish that day, hence April Fools’ Day.

Or maybe the story is just a prank. Pretty good tale, anyway.

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Pope Gregory XIII: Father of April Fools’ Day?

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII instituted the (you guessed it) Gregorian Calendar, which moved New Year’s Day from March 32nd (honest) to January 1st. People who didn’t know that March 32nd was now April 1st and were still celebrating the old New Year looked pretty foolish that day, hence April Fools’ Day.

Or maybe the story’s just a prank. Pretty good yarn, anyway.

More:

“A brief, totally sincere history of April Fools’ Day,” Sarah Caplan, Washington Post

“April Fools’ Day, explained earnestly,” Michelle Hackman, Vox

“April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition,” Stephen Winick, Folklife Today

“April Fools International: World’s Best Pranks Ever?” Anne-Sophie Goninet, Worldcrunch

“No Kidding: We Have No Idea How April Fools’ Day Started,” Ashley Ross, TIME

“Stamos Documentary? Trader Joe’s Closing? Cornhub? Must Be April Fools’ Day,” NPR

Tech Breakthrough: The Prescription Car Windshield

This UK tech breakthrough means you’ll never drive with eyeglasses again. Announced April 1, 2010.

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Petco Beautiful Bonds

You and your pet…Beautiful Bonds.

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The Smart Storage Smart Bot

Got self-storage? You need this.

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Burger King Whopper Toothpaste

Burger King Whopper Toothpaste. Mmmmm …fresh!

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295-Foot-Tall Game of Tetris

MIT Students turned the Green Building on campus into a giant, playable Tetris game in 2012. 53 of the building’s windows became the game’s falling colored blocks on a  80 by 250 foot “screen.”

More:

“The ‘holy grail’ of hacks,” Jessica J. Pourian, The Tech

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Lyft Mono

Get a ride, anonymously. Beta available April 1.

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SodaSoak

Sparkling bubbles, dazzling bubbles. Bathe in them!

Available April 1.

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Google Gnome

Google Gnome: AI for your yard. Available April 1.

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