April Fools’ Pranks Before the Internet

April Fools’ Pranks Before the Internet
Thomas Edison, Jonathan Swift, and Swedish national television have all gotten in on past April Fools fun. Public Domain/ Public Domain/ YouTube
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The advent of the internet has made it incredibly easy to connect with individuals across the globe. With high-speed connections that allow one to have multiple transcontinental conversations in the time it takes to boil a kettle, communication has never been easier. 

Quite like all modern interactions, performing April Fools’ pranks on April 1 has become a major feature of internet culture. But online pranks usually only require a modem, a couple of clicks of a mouse, and a few taps on a keyboard. 

Pranking before the internet age was not as easy.