April Fool's Day, 1973

The Village of Spiggot Boycotts Metric System (1973) Westward Television, a British TV studio, produced a documentary feature about the village of Spiggot whose residents were refusing to accept the new decimal currency recently adopted by the British government. The feature included interviews with local officials from Spiggot. The documentary prompted an outpouring of support for this rebellious village from the British public, and many people expressed a willingness to join it in its anti-decimal crusade. Unfortunately for this burgeoning rebellion, the village of Spiggot did not exist.

Dutch Elm Disease Infects Redheads (1973) BBC Radio interviewed a "Dr. Clothier" about the government's efforts to stop the spread of Dutch Elm Disease. Dr. Clothier described some recent discoveries, such as the research of Dr. Emily Lang who had found that exposure to Dutch Elm Disease immunized people to the common cold.

Unfortunately, there was a side effect. Exposure to the disease also caused red hair to turn yellow. This was attributed to a similarity between the blood count of redheads and the soil conditions in which affected trees grew. Therefore, redheads were advised to stay away from forests for the foreseeable future. Dr. Clothier was actually the comedian Spike Milligan disguising his voice.

The Birth of Nutopia (1973) John Lennon and Yoko Ono issued a statement announcing the birth of a new "conceptual country," Nutopia, which consisted of "no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people."

Claiming to be ambassadors of Nutopia, and therefore eligible for diplomatic immunity, Lennon and Ono waved white handkerchiefs at a press conference, saying, "This is the flag of Nutopia; we surrender" (referring to Lennon's immigration problems, as he and Ono tried to remain in the United States).

The official seal of Nutopia showed a picture of a seal (the marine animal).