Andy Kaufman (1949-1984) was an entertainer known for elaborate pranks and hoaxes. He was so well known for this that when he died in 1984, rumors immediately started that he staged his death as a prank. Today, more than 30 years after his death, the rumors persist, and people still anticipate he will suddenly show up and reveal that it was all a big joke.
The Princess Bride Hoax: William Goldman’s Missing Reunion Scene
William Goldman invented an author, an entire literary history, and a missing reunion scene in The Princess Bride. Thousands of readers wrote to his publisher requesting it. The response became an even more elaborate practical joke.
How a Priest Named Ronald Knox Destroyed Big Ben on the Radio—and Accidentally Terrified Britain
In 1926, Catholic priest Ronald Knox announced on BBC radio that communist revolutionaries had destroyed Big Ben, demolished Parliament, and blown up the Savoy Hotel. Some listeners believed him, despite the broadcast being introduced as fiction. Twelve years before Orson Welles frightened Americans with Martians, a British priest accidentally demonstrated the extraordinary power of fake…
William Henry Ireland: The Boy Who Forged Shakespeare—and Invented a Lost Play
William Henry Ireland wanted to impress his Shakespeare-obsessed father. One forged signature later, he had fabricated manuscripts, love letters, Shakespeare’s library, and an entirely new “lost” play that actually reached the London stage.
Leave a Reply