1996: The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed,
a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke. The best line of the day came when
White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.
• Taco Liberty Bell (full-length article)
• Unlikely Acquisitions announced on April 1st
• April Fool’s Day hoaxes involving national landmarks
HA HA LOL very funny. Actually I take this very personally. I will purposely mess with taco bell for the rest of my breathing living being