April Fools' Day is celebrated worldwide, and many countries have their own unique pranks and jokes. In France, paper fish are often put on someone's back as a joke because the fish are said to be young and, therefore, easily caught. The prank is called the "April Fish," and those who get the fish placed on their backs are seen as gullible.

On April Fools' Day in 1965, the Columbus Evening Dispatch attempted a prank that left some readers in a panic. On page 1B of the paper, a photo ran that showed the top half of the iconic LeVeque Tower in downtown Columbus breaking off and falling into the Scioto River.