The April Fool Archive

A Turkish Fish Tale    (April Fool's Day - 1924)

The Turkish newspaper Yeni Gun reported that a giant fish weighing 1400 lbs had been caught in a stream near Angora. The story was reprinted by the Tanin newspaper, along with a full description of the creature, and hundreds of people reportedly drove out to see the giant fish. However, they found nothing to see, and the next day Yeni Gun admitted it had been an April fool fish. Tanin, which alone had reported the fish as real news, didn't take kindly to being fooled and criticized Yeni Gun, saying that such levity was unseemly in a serious publication and that although the custom of April Foolery was tolerated in the West, it was unsuitable for Turkey.

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