An Attempt to Date
April Fool's Day
G.D.O'Bradovich III
April 3, 2015
The following citations are courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary. Secondary sources are in red.
1702 H. Coley Merlinus Anglicus sig. A6v, (table)
All Fools Day.
1760 Poor Robin sig. A7v,
The first of April some do say, Is set apart for All-Fools Day.
1777 J. Brand Observ. Pop. Antiq. 398
All-Fools' Day, a corruption it should seem of Auld i.e. Old Fools' Day.
1823 C. Lamb Elia 95 (title)
All Fools' Day... The compliments of the season to my worthy masters.
1847 J. Oswandel Notes of Mexican War 1 Apr. (1885) 102
This morning being the 1st of April, it being All Fools' Day, I saw several of our men fooled.
1928 Boys' Life Sept. 10/3
It was All Fools' day before Darr made his first flight into the air.
a1963 S. Plath Ariel (1965) 57
Mute as a turnip from the Fourth Of July to All Fools' Day.
1966 H. Davies New London Spy (1967) 14 April.
Begins with All Fools' Day. Newspapers and radio occasionally produce..spoof interviews and stories.
2011 M. M. Buckner Gravity Pilot ii. i. 144
You know what day this is? April 1. All Fools' Day. Maybe it's a sign of good luck.
1. The victim of a trick or hoax on the first of April.
1629 E. Lechmere Disputation of Church sig. †6,
For my part, I was not willing at the sight of yours (which I espied by meere chaunce, and neuer sawe but once) to be made an Aprill foole, and therefore would not be so farre at your commaund.
1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour i. i. 5
That's one of Loves April-fools, is always upon some errand that's to no purpose.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 47. ¶8
An ingenious Tribe of Men..who are for making April Fools every Day in the Year. These Gentlemen are commonly distinguished by the name of Biters.
1767 Gazetteer & New Daily Advertiser 9 Apr.
Lorenzo, who affects to live by rule, The Gambler's dupe, and Folly's ‘April fool’!
c1830 T. P. Thompson Exercises (1842) IV. 518
It will be difficult to make April-fools of a whole people that can read and write.
1910 Oxfordshire Village Folklore 24 88
On April 1st there was the usual custom of making everyone an April Fool.
2001 T. Mitton in J. Foster Ready, Steady, Rap 28
Don't let them make you an April Fool.
2. A trick or hoax perpetrated on the first of April.
1845 G. Flagg Let. 15 Mar. in Flagg Corr. (1986) 64,
I think this will turn out to be an April fool for I am sure none of you can go.
1903 C. L. Burnham Jewel iv. 45
It was an April fool, was n't it?
1992 Independent 2 Apr. 27/7
An item about a bull seal that can attract females by inflating its right nostril into a large red balloon. This last was not an April Fool.
2004 Mirror (Nexis) (Ulster ed.) 3 Apr. 6,
I don't think anyone has ever played an April Fool on me.
April Fool's Day n.
(originally April Fool Day) the first of April, as a day on which tricks or hoaxes are traditionally perpetrated.
1748 Brit. Mag. Apr. 172/1
On the first of April, called April-Fool Day.
1753 World 8 Mar. x. 59
No wise man will tell me that it is not as reasonable to fall out for the observance of April-fool-day.
1832 T. Carlyle in Fraser's Mag. 5 260
Let the foolish April-fool-day pass by.
1928 Amer. Speech 3 462
We [sc. an Aquarium] discontinue service on April Fool's Day because of the too great popularity of..[calls for] Mr C. Lyon.
2004 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 3 Apr. 32
He'd forgotten the other great thing about April Fool's Day—the flurry of pinches and punches for the first of the month.
April 'foolery
n. the hoaxes or tricks associated with April Fool's Day; an instance of this.
1823 New Monthly Mag. 8 119
Pigeon's milk, one of the favourite engines of April foolery, is as old as Aristophanes.
1848 M. Fuller Ossoli Let. 1 Apr. in R. W. Emerson et al. Mem. Margaret Fuller Ossoli (1860) II. 236
Yesterday, on returning from Ostia, I find the official news..that Italy is free... I trust this will prove no April foolery.
1967 Times 22 Mar. 22
The orders were the biggest bit of April foolery that had ever been played on the public.
2007 Aberdeen Press & Jrnl. (Nexis) 30 Mar. 13
The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that then gripped the British tabloids in the following decades.
The previous citations in chronological order.
1629 For my part, I was not willing at the sight of yours... to be made an Aprill foole...
1693 That's one of Loves April-fools, is always upon some errand that's to no purpose.
There are two references from the 17th century.
1702 All Fools Day.
1711 An ingenious Tribe of Men..who are for making April Fools every Day in the Year. These Gentlemen...
1748 On the first of April, called April-Fool Day.
1753 No wise man will tell me that it is not as reasonable to fall out for the observance of April-fool-day.
1760 The first of April some do say, Is set apart for All-Fools Day.
1767 Lorenzo, who affects to live by rule, The Gambler's dupe, and Folly's ‘April fool’!
1777 All-Fools' Day, a corruption it should seem of Auld i.e. Old Fools' Day.
1823 All Fools' Day... The compliments of the season to my worthy masters.
1823 Pigeon's milk, one of the favourite engines of April foolery, is as old as Aristophanes.
1830c (1842) It will be difficult to make April-fools of a whole people that can read and write.
1832 Let the foolish April-fool-day pass by.
1845 (1986) , I think this will turn out to be an April fool for I am sure none of you can go.
1847 (1885) This morning being the 1st of April, it being All Fools' Day, I saw several of our men fooled.
1848 (1860) Yesterday, on returning from Ostia, I find the official news..that Italy is free... I trust this will prove no April foolery.
1903 It was an April fool, was n't it?
1910 On April 1st there was the usual custom of making everyone an April Fool.
1928 We [sc. an Aquarium] discontinue service on April Fool's Day because of the too great popularity of..[calls for] Mr C. Lyon.
1928 It was All Fools' day before Darr made his first flight into the air.
1963a (1965) Mute as a turnip from the Fourth Of July to All Fools' Day.
1966 (1967) Begins with All Fools' Day. Newspapers and radio occasionally produce..spoof interviews and stories.
1967 The orders were the biggest bit of April foolery that had ever been played on the public.
1992 An item about a bull seal that can attract females by inflating... This last was not an April Fool.
2001 Don't let them make you an April Fool.
2004 He'd forgotten the other great thing about April Fool's Day—the flurry of pinches and punches for the first of the month.
2004 I don't think anyone has ever played an April Fool on me.
2007 The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that...
2011 You know what day this is? April 1. All Fools' Day. Maybe it's a sign of good luck.
Conclusion
The earliest recorded instance of April Fool is from the year 1629 and we must conclude that April Fool's day is not as old as Aristophanes (1823).
1702 H. Coley Merlinus Anglicus sig. A6v, (table)
All Fools Day.
1760 Poor Robin sig. A7v,
The first of April some do say, Is set apart for All-Fools Day.
1777 J. Brand Observ. Pop. Antiq. 398
All-Fools' Day, a corruption it should seem of Auld i.e. Old Fools' Day.
1823 C. Lamb Elia 95 (title)
All Fools' Day... The compliments of the season to my worthy masters.
1847 J. Oswandel Notes of Mexican War 1 Apr. (1885) 102
This morning being the 1st of April, it being All Fools' Day, I saw several of our men fooled.
1928 Boys' Life Sept. 10/3
It was All Fools' day before Darr made his first flight into the air.
a1963 S. Plath Ariel (1965) 57
Mute as a turnip from the Fourth Of July to All Fools' Day.
1966 H. Davies New London Spy (1967) 14 April.
Begins with All Fools' Day. Newspapers and radio occasionally produce..spoof interviews and stories.
2011 M. M. Buckner Gravity Pilot ii. i. 144
You know what day this is? April 1. All Fools' Day. Maybe it's a sign of good luck.
1. The victim of a trick or hoax on the first of April.
1629 E. Lechmere Disputation of Church sig. †6,
For my part, I was not willing at the sight of yours (which I espied by meere chaunce, and neuer sawe but once) to be made an Aprill foole, and therefore would not be so farre at your commaund.
1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour i. i. 5
That's one of Loves April-fools, is always upon some errand that's to no purpose.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 47. ¶8
An ingenious Tribe of Men..who are for making April Fools every Day in the Year. These Gentlemen are commonly distinguished by the name of Biters.
1767 Gazetteer & New Daily Advertiser 9 Apr.
Lorenzo, who affects to live by rule, The Gambler's dupe, and Folly's ‘April fool’!
c1830 T. P. Thompson Exercises (1842) IV. 518
It will be difficult to make April-fools of a whole people that can read and write.
1910 Oxfordshire Village Folklore 24 88
On April 1st there was the usual custom of making everyone an April Fool.
2001 T. Mitton in J. Foster Ready, Steady, Rap 28
Don't let them make you an April Fool.
2. A trick or hoax perpetrated on the first of April.
1845 G. Flagg Let. 15 Mar. in Flagg Corr. (1986) 64,
I think this will turn out to be an April fool for I am sure none of you can go.
1903 C. L. Burnham Jewel iv. 45
It was an April fool, was n't it?
1992 Independent 2 Apr. 27/7
An item about a bull seal that can attract females by inflating its right nostril into a large red balloon. This last was not an April Fool.
2004 Mirror (Nexis) (Ulster ed.) 3 Apr. 6,
I don't think anyone has ever played an April Fool on me.
April Fool's Day n.
(originally April Fool Day) the first of April, as a day on which tricks or hoaxes are traditionally perpetrated.
1748 Brit. Mag. Apr. 172/1
On the first of April, called April-Fool Day.
1753 World 8 Mar. x. 59
No wise man will tell me that it is not as reasonable to fall out for the observance of April-fool-day.
1832 T. Carlyle in Fraser's Mag. 5 260
Let the foolish April-fool-day pass by.
1928 Amer. Speech 3 462
We [sc. an Aquarium] discontinue service on April Fool's Day because of the too great popularity of..[calls for] Mr C. Lyon.
2004 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 3 Apr. 32
He'd forgotten the other great thing about April Fool's Day—the flurry of pinches and punches for the first of the month.
April 'foolery
n. the hoaxes or tricks associated with April Fool's Day; an instance of this.
1823 New Monthly Mag. 8 119
Pigeon's milk, one of the favourite engines of April foolery, is as old as Aristophanes.
1848 M. Fuller Ossoli Let. 1 Apr. in R. W. Emerson et al. Mem. Margaret Fuller Ossoli (1860) II. 236
Yesterday, on returning from Ostia, I find the official news..that Italy is free... I trust this will prove no April foolery.
1967 Times 22 Mar. 22
The orders were the biggest bit of April foolery that had ever been played on the public.
2007 Aberdeen Press & Jrnl. (Nexis) 30 Mar. 13
The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that then gripped the British tabloids in the following decades.
The previous citations in chronological order.
1629 For my part, I was not willing at the sight of yours... to be made an Aprill foole...
1693 That's one of Loves April-fools, is always upon some errand that's to no purpose.
There are two references from the 17th century.
1702 All Fools Day.
1711 An ingenious Tribe of Men..who are for making April Fools every Day in the Year. These Gentlemen...
1748 On the first of April, called April-Fool Day.
1753 No wise man will tell me that it is not as reasonable to fall out for the observance of April-fool-day.
1760 The first of April some do say, Is set apart for All-Fools Day.
1767 Lorenzo, who affects to live by rule, The Gambler's dupe, and Folly's ‘April fool’!
1777 All-Fools' Day, a corruption it should seem of Auld i.e. Old Fools' Day.
1823 All Fools' Day... The compliments of the season to my worthy masters.
1823 Pigeon's milk, one of the favourite engines of April foolery, is as old as Aristophanes.
1830c (1842) It will be difficult to make April-fools of a whole people that can read and write.
1832 Let the foolish April-fool-day pass by.
1845 (1986) , I think this will turn out to be an April fool for I am sure none of you can go.
1847 (1885) This morning being the 1st of April, it being All Fools' Day, I saw several of our men fooled.
1848 (1860) Yesterday, on returning from Ostia, I find the official news..that Italy is free... I trust this will prove no April foolery.
1903 It was an April fool, was n't it?
1910 On April 1st there was the usual custom of making everyone an April Fool.
1928 We [sc. an Aquarium] discontinue service on April Fool's Day because of the too great popularity of..[calls for] Mr C. Lyon.
1928 It was All Fools' day before Darr made his first flight into the air.
1963a (1965) Mute as a turnip from the Fourth Of July to All Fools' Day.
1966 (1967) Begins with All Fools' Day. Newspapers and radio occasionally produce..spoof interviews and stories.
1967 The orders were the biggest bit of April foolery that had ever been played on the public.
1992 An item about a bull seal that can attract females by inflating... This last was not an April Fool.
2001 Don't let them make you an April Fool.
2004 He'd forgotten the other great thing about April Fool's Day—the flurry of pinches and punches for the first of the month.
2004 I don't think anyone has ever played an April Fool on me.
2007 The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that...
2011 You know what day this is? April 1. All Fools' Day. Maybe it's a sign of good luck.
Conclusion
The earliest recorded instance of April Fool is from the year 1629 and we must conclude that April Fool's day is not as old as Aristophanes (1823).