Gmail was launched by Google with 1 gigabyte of free storage
Most email services offered just 2-4 megabytes at the time, making Google's offer seem too good to be true. Many people dismissed it as an April Fools...
April 1 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2004
2001
The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage
MajorFour same-sex couples exchanged vows just after midnight in Amsterdam as the law took effect. Mayor Job Cohen officiated the historic ceremonies. The...
1996
Taco Bell announced in major newspapers that it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell
The fast-food chain took out full-page ads claiming it bought the historic bell to "reduce the country's debt." Thousands of outraged citizens called...
1979
Iran officially became an Islamic Republic following a national referendum
MajorAyatollah Khomeini declared the day "the first day of God's government." The referendum passed with a reported 98% approval, though opposition groups...
1976
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Company in a garage in Los Altos, California
MajorThe company that would become the world's most valuable started with just three people - the two Steves and Ronald Wayne, who sold his 10% stake for $...
1973
Project Tiger was launched in India to save the Bengal tiger from extinction
Tiger populations had plummeted to around 1,800 in India. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi initiated this conservation program, establishing tiger reserve...
1972
Major League Baseball players went on strike for the first time in the sport's history
The players' union walked out over pension fund issues, delaying the start of the season by 13 days. It was the first of eight work stoppages in baseb...
1957
The BBC aired a hoax documentary showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees
The respected news program Panorama convinced many Britons that spaghetti grew on trees in Switzerland. Hundreds of viewers called in asking how to gr...
1945
American forces invaded Okinawa in the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II
MajorOver 180,000 U.S. troops landed on the Japanese island in Operation Iceberg. The battle would become one of the bloodiest of the war, lasting 82 days...
1933
Nazi Germany began its official boycott of Jewish-owned businesses
SA stormtroopers stood outside Jewish shops, painting Stars of David on windows and intimidating customers. Signs declared "Germans! Defend yourselves...
1924
Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the failed Beer Hall Putsch
MajorHe served only nine months at Landsberg Prison, where he dictated Mein Kampf to Rudolf Hess. The lenient sentence and comfortable prison conditions ga...
1893
The Rank Organisation, a British entertainment conglomerate, was founded
Founded by J. Arthur Rank, it became one of the largest and most influential film companies in Britain. The company's iconic logo featuring a muscular...
1748
The ruins of Pompeii were rediscovered by Spanish military engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre
MajorThe ancient Roman city had been buried under volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius since 79 AD. The excavation revealed remarkably preserved buildings, art...
1700
English pranksters began popularizing April Fools' Day by sending people on fool's errands
References to "April fish" (poisson d'avril) and "April fools" appeared in British literature around this time. One popular prank involved sending som...
Fun Facts from April 1
2011
1977
1976