April Fool's Day, 1924

Charley Chase in April Fool (1924) In the silent short film "April Fool," released in 1924, Charley Chase played a cub reporter who had to endure a string of practical jokes in the office on April Fool's Day.

The Stingless Bee (1924) Beekeeper E.J. Campbell of Olympia, Washington announced that he would exhibiting a "stingless bee" at the next meeting of the Thurston County Bee Society. He said the stingless bee had been developed by scientific processes from the Adel strain (an "industrious but peevish" bee commonly found in North American apiaries at the time). This new bee, said Campbell, had no stinger and would not attack a person even under the strongest provocation. It would simply fly away. He also said it was an excellent honey gatherer and a great playmate for children. The announcement generated enormous interest in the press, including a full page article in the Washington Post. But after receiving hundreds of inquiries from beekeepers throughout the United States and Canada, Campbell admitted his stingless bee was actually of the April Fool variety and was only intended as a joke.

Of course, species of stingless bees really do exist, though they live primarily in tropical climates and tend not to be used in commercial honey production.

A Turkish Fish Tale (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.