In 2000, PETA warned that it was sabotaging a bass fishing tournament by releasing tranquilizers into the lake before the tournament. State officials took this threat seriously (it is PETA), and had rangers surround the lake to stop any fish drugging.

On March 31st, 1940 the Franklin Institute issued a press release that the world would end the very next day and that it was not an April Fool joke. This press release was meant to publicize an April 1st lecture titled "How Will the World End?".

In 2000, The Independent reported that researchers had developed a Viagra-like pill to treat sexually frustrated pets. It said that few things are as sad as a pet suffering from feelings of sexual inadequacy. It further advised to lay some news paper down once the pills started to take effect.

In 1980, the Boston's Channel 7 news announced that the 635-foot hill in Milton Massachusetts had erupted. They showed footage of lava pouring down a hill-side. They said that this eruption was a result of a chain reaction set off by the recent eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington.

On March 31st, 1989, thousands of people saw a glowing flying saucer descending on London. It landed in a field on the outskirts of the city. The police were warned of the alien invasion and when arrived on-scene one brave officer approached the craft. When the door of the craft opened, a silver-suited figure emerged and the "brave" officer ran in the opposite direction. It turned out that Richard Branson built a hot-air balloon to look like a UFO. The balloon was intended on landing in London's Hyde Park on April 1st, but wind blew it off course and forced a landing a day early.

In 1996, Virgin Cola announced that their cans had a new technology which would cause them to turn bright blue when the cola passed its sell-by date. They recommended that consumers avoid purchasing of all blue cans. This was just after Pepsi unveiled its newly designed bright blue cans.