History is full of serious people doing seriously silly things. From spaghetti growing on trees to a skyscraper melting cars, here are eight wonderfully ridiculous moments that prove the past wasn't always so sensible.
1. The Beatles? No thanks!
Before John, Paul, George and Ringo hit the big time, they auditioned for Decca Records on 1st January 1962. They played 15 songs in an hour including popular covers and some of their own compositions.
Decca Records were less than impressed and promptly rejected the band, saying "The Beatles have no future in show business”. Well, we all know what happened after that! Decca’s rejection is widely considered to be one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the music industry. Awkward!
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2. Spaghetti harvest
Did you know that spaghetti grows on trees? No? Well, back in 1957 the BBC broadcast the first pictures of the spaghetti harvest in Italy. At the time, not many people in the UK would have known how pasta was produced and when the news broadcaster showed footage of spaghetti strands being plucked from blossoming trees, it was a revelation.
It was a while before the audience realised that they were watching the news on the 1st of April. This story has since become one of the most infamous April Fool’s jokes of all time.
3.
The fire hydrant mystery that went up in flames
In 1836, a fire destroyed thousands of patent records at the US Patent Office, possibly including the original patent for the fire hydrant. Now that's what we call irony! Frederick Graff Sr. is often credited with inventing an early fire hydrant, but with the records reduced to ashes, the full story remains a mystery. If only someone had invented something to help put out fires...
4. Alien invasion
In 1938, Orson Welles' radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds had some Americans wondering whether Martians had really landed on Earth. The fictional story was presented as breaking news, complete with alarming reports of an alien invasion. Some listeners who tuned in late mistook the drama for reality, although later research suggests that reports of nationwide mass panic were greatly exaggerated. With no social media to check for alien sightings, listeners had to rely on their radios.
Luckily, the Martians never showed up!
5. Spoof album
The Masked Marauders album was created as a hoax by the editor of Rolling Stone magazine back in the late 60s. With the ability to write anything he wanted in the magazine, Greil Marcus wrote a funny review of a fictional album, insisting that Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and three of the Beatles had formed a supergroup.
When readers started asking how they could buy the album, Rolling Stone magazine hired an unknown band to recreate some of the spoof tracks. The fake album sold over 100,000 copies!
6. Boat hoax
There were many rivalries in the Royal Navy back in the early 20th century and the fleet captains were always playing tricks on each other. Horace de Vere Cole sent a hoax telegram to the commander of battleship HMS Dreadnought, telling them to prepare for a royal inspection.
Cole gathered together a group of friends, including the famous writer Virginia Woolf and two of the commander’s cousins, and dressed them up as Abyssinian royal family. This elaborate practical joke worked, and the group were entertained on the ship for hours without the commander recognising his own family.
7. Time for a break
Even the world's most famous clock needs a break sometimes! Back in 1949, London's Big Ben fell behind by more than four minutes, thanks to a flock of starlings that decided its minute hand was the perfect place to perch. The combined weight of the birds slowed the clock down until they finally flew away. Who knew a few feathered visitors could bring time to a standstill?
8.
The skyscraper that cooked a Jaguar
Fast-forward to 2013, when a London skyscraper started melting cars. No, it's not another April Fool's joke – this actually happened. When the London skyscraper nicknamed the ‘walkie talkie’ was under construction, the reflection from the windows began melting cars that were parked on the street.
In 2013, a Jaguar that was left outside the building for two hours ended up with a melted wing mirror, wonky badge and buckled panels. The damage was caused by the sun’s rays being reflected by the curved shape of the building. The building was eventually fitted with a giant sunshade to stop it from cooking anything else. Not quite what the architect had in mind!
Life's too short for boring socks!
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