Doosan Kim Grade 3 Chapter 2

Nobody knows exactly when April Fools' Day began.

During the 18th century, it became popular throughout Europe and America.

In the 19th century, even newspapers, radio programs, and television shows began to take part in April Fools' Day tricks.

Here are some famous examples.

[Edison's Food Machine]

On April 1st, 1878, a famous American newspaper reported about a food machine that Thomas Edison invented.

According to the article, this machine could turn soil into grain and water into wine.

The article said that this invention could end the world's food problem.

Many people believed the report because Americans at that time thought that Edison could solve any problem.

On April 1st, 1957, a highly respected television news show in Britain broadcast about a spaghetti harvest in southern Switzerland.

In the show, a Swiss family in the country were pulling spaghetti off trees and placing it into baskets.

Soon after the broadcast ended, hundreds of viewers called the station to learn how to grow their own spaghetti trees.

People believed the story because not many people in Britain knew about spaghetti during the 1950s.

In 2000, a British newspaper reported about "FatSox," special socks designed to help people lose weight.

According to the report, these socks could suck body fat out of a person's feet as the feet sweated.

The wearer could then simply take off the socks and wash the fat away.

Many people interested in losing weight were excited by the news.

They called the newspaper to ask where to buy the socks.

[Flying Penguins]

In 2008, a British television program showed a video of the world's first flying penguins.

The video showed a group of penguins suddenly taking off to the skies.

According to the video, the penguins from King George Island flew thousands of miles to South America to spend the winter.

Because the flying penguins looked so real, people were shocked to learn that they were created with special effects.

What do you think of the reports above?

They may seem absurd, but many people were tricked.

So, be careful when you read a newspaper or watch TV on April 1st.

You may be fooled, too.