Modern Era (1946 - present) Watch the prank this boy plays on his grandfather in "As In a Looking Glass" RealVideo (streaming) MPEG Format (6.0 MB) Help With Video Credits April Fools' Day April 1 Have you ever played a joke on someone and then, just when that person has fallen for it, said "April Fools!"? April 1 is known as April Fools' Day, and, although no one really knows how the holiday began, it's a great chance to play a joke on someone--as long as the joke is harmless. April Fools' Day gives everyone a chance to play "the fool." In France the fooled person is called poisson d'avril ("April fish"), and in Scotland the person is called a gowk (cuckoo), the symbol of a simpleton. page 1 of 3 Library Of Congress | Legal Notices | Privacy | Site Map | Contact Us VIDEO CREDIT: Armitage, F.S., camera. "As In a Looking Glass." American Mutoscope & Biograph Co., 1903. Variety Stage Motion Pictures, The American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920, American Memory collections, Library of Congress.