The Eight Best April Fools' Day Pranks Ever

April 1, 2010— -- This story is not a hoax. Seriously.

April might bring warmer temperatures, spring rains and of course tax day, but it begins with the ultimate moment for pranksters: April Fools' Day.

So instead of playing a joke on you -- we are sure there will be plenty today -- we've decided to recap some of the best pranks of all time. As always, it is possible that we missed one or two, so feel free to add your own in the comments section below.

April Fools' Day pranks hold a special place in our hearts. They mean a break from our normal routines and are a throwback to the old storytelling ways of our ancestors, said Joseph Boskin, a history professor at Boston University.

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"I think it's something out of the ordinary. This is a very rational, technically oriented society," said Boskin, who is also on the editorial board of the International Journal of Humor and known for an April Fools' Day joke of his own.

In 1983, Boskin was interviewed by The Associated Press about the origins of the day. His response: The practice began when court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor Constantine that they could do a better job than he did. Constantine made one of them -- a guy named Kugel -- king for a day.

The story was picked up by newspapers across the country. It took AP editors weeks to realize that they had been the victim of a prank.

(Kugel is the Yiddish phrase for a traditional Jewish dessert similar to a pudding or casserole.)

Boskin said that April Fools' Day is so popular, in part, because comedy helps keep America's "diverse, complex society" intact.