Chaucer Notes April Fools: A Tradition of Jest Begins
Chaucer's "Nun's Priest's Tale" accidentally birthed a global prank tradition when scribes misread his May date as April 32nd, turning a specific historical anniversary into a day for harmless trickery. This clerical error spread through centuries of literature and culminated in the 1698 Tower of London hoax, where gullible crowds flocked to watch lions being washed on what became known as Fool's Holy Day.
April 1, 1392
634 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 1
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