On This Day - April 1, 2026

Panorama, a BBC television programme, runs a segment on the Swiss spaghetti harvest.

NASA selects its first seven astronauts who become known as the Mercury 7. They included Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. Of the seven, Alan Shepard would be the first American in space. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Gus Grissom would die tragically with two other astronauts (Ed White and Roger Chaffee) when a fire erupted during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo 1 flight. They were the first casualties of the NASA space program.

American Motors releases the first Gremlin off the assembly line.

Australian millionaire Dick Smith towed what appeared to be a giant iceberg into Sydney Harbor. It was an accomplishment he had been promising to do for months and now he had. It was also time to chip off chunks and fill everyone’s drinks. Well, until his prank was revealed by a sudden rain that washed away fire suppression foam and shaving foam showing a small wooden mountain draped with plastic sheeting loaded on the barge.

The Taco Liberty Bell and other patriotic businesses wipe out National Debt. Or that's what the headlines would have read if their April Fool's prank had gotten carried away. Their full-page ads informed the public that the fast-food chain had purchased the national treasure to offset our nation's debt and encouraged other businesses to do the same.

National Day Calendar releases an article about the successful production of yolkless eggs.