Great Hoaxes

Just wanted to start a thread where people could post some of the biggest hoaxes that have happened in this world. This would include urban legends, etc.

Nixon for President
In 1992 National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." Accompanying this announcement were audio clips of Nixon delivering his candidacy speech. Listeners responded viscerally to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and outrage. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Hockenberry reveal that the announcement was a joke. Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little.

Winston Churchill's Parrot
Newspapers are reporting the story of Charlie, a parrot that is 104 years old, once belonged to Winston Churchill, and still swears at the Nazis. When I read about Charlie, I figured it couldn't be true. First of all, could a parrot really live that long? Well, apparently in rare cases they can. So that part of the story might be true. But there is a lot of doubt about whether Charlie ever belonged to Churchill. Churchill's family is denying that Winston ever owned a parrot. Charlie might simply be a parrot that somebody once taught to swear at the Nazis. Oh, and Charlie is a girl. (Think I saw another thread on this)

Voyage of Hollow Earth Discovery
In 1818 John Cleves Symmes, Jr. issued a pamphlet declaring his intention to travel to the Arctic in order to find the polar hole that would lead down into the hollow earth. He urged his fellow countrymen to join him on his quest. He had quite a few takers, but somehow funding for the voyage never materialized. But if you're bummed that you were born too late to join Symmes on his fanciful voyage, never fear. Because now a new, modern-day hollow earther has issued another call to arms. Steve Currey, of Steve Currey's Expedition Company, has announced that he will be chartering a Russian nuclear icebreaker and sailing up north with it to determine, once and for all, if the earth is hollow. He sets sail June 26, 2005. For the very reasonable price of $18,950 you can be with him on that boat!

Found a website with some fun ones!

No Nobel Prize is awarded for mathematics because Alfred Nobel's wife had an affair with a mathematician.

Eelskin wallets demagnetize credit cards due to leftover charges from the electric eels used to make them.

The daughter of US Vice-President Dick Cheney is going to Baghdad to serve as a human shield.

French's mustard released a press statement to let U.S. consumers know "the only thing we have have in common with the French is that we are both yellow."

George W. Bush once described rapper Eminem as "the most dangerous threat to American children since polio."

In 2003, President and Mrs. Bush helped hand out Christmas gifts to children of inmates. [Oh, ait, that one's true...]

I love that Fu*&%$# Bird!

List of the Biggest Hoaxes-spoiler

Snopes-Urban Legend Reference Pages

Although not strictly a hoax as such, it still merits some attention as one of the funniest incidents in the era of radio.

Orson Wells ada ption and performance of HG Wells War of the worlds

www.transparencynow.com...

Originally posted by exdog
Snopes-Urban Legend Reference Pages

That's actually where I got a few of those. Can't believe Micromarius hasn't come along and said the moon landing...

I got a good one.....

This guy told us this country had all these really bad weapons they were gonna use on us if we didnt attack them first

Have you heard that one?