10 Greatest April Fools Day Hoaxes Of All Time

The residents of Sitka, Alaska, woke up to a terrifying sight. After being dormant for 400 years, Mount Edgecumbe, had began to erupt.

While the inhabitants stared at the mountain with panic in their eyes, a 50-year-old man named Oliver “Porky” Bickar watched with pride as his prank played out exactly as planned.

The local authorities were inundated with calls. The Coast Guard commander radioed the Admiral in Juneau who sent a helicopter out to investigate.

As the helicopter pilot flew above the crater he looked down and immediately started laughing. In the crater was a burning pile of tyres and, around the rim, the words “April Fool” had been spray-painted in 50-foot letters.

Oliver “Porky” Bickar and a few friends had flown out the night before by helicopter to prepare the prank. They used 70-year-old tyres soaked in kerosene.

In order to fly out they had to get permission from the FAA. They had also warned the local police but had forgot to inform the Coast Guard which is why the Admiral had been called.

As soon as the residents of Sitka knew it was an April Fools’ prank everyone thought it was brilliant. It went down better than Porky could have imagined.

A few years later Porky bumped into the Admiral at a Fourth of July party. He was prepared to get berated by the Admiral but instead was told he thought the prank was a classic.

In Porky’s own words, “On April Fools’ Day, I hired a chopper and flew 70 old kerosene-soaked tyres on top of the dormant volcano, Mt. Edgecumbe, that looms over Sitka. I set the tyres on fire and the billowing black smoke created one hell of a commotion in Sitka. I dare you to top that April Fools’ joke."