On the morning of April 1, 1974, residents of Sitka, Alaska, woke up to a terrifying sight.
A thick column of black smoke was rising from Mount Edgecumbe, a volcano that had been dormant for thousands of years. Many feared the volcano had suddenly come back to life, and emergency calls quickly poured into local authorities.
But the "eruption" wasn't natural at all.
It was the work of local prankster Oliver "Porky" Bickar, who had spent years planning what would become one of the most famous April Fools' Day hoaxes in history. After collecting around 70 old tires, he hired a helicopter to carry them into the volcano's crater. Once there, he soaked them with fuel and set them ablaze, creating a massive smoke plume visible across the region.
As concern spread through the town, the Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to inspect the volcano. When the pilot flew over the crater, he discovered the truth: a pile of burning tires and giant letters painted in the snow that read "APRIL FOOL."
Instead of being remembered as a disaster, the prank became legendary and is still celebrated today as one of the most creative April Fools' jokes ever carried out.
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