A closer look at the key events on April 1 in history:

Today April Fool’s Day is celebrated

April Fools’ Day is an annual tradition where people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. Its origins are uncertain but may date back to ancient Roman and Indian festivals, like Hilaria which was celebrated on March 25, and Holi which ends on March 31. Others believe that it is an evolution of the medieval Feast of Fools, which was held on January 1.

In 2001, the Netherlands legalizes same sex marriage

The Netherlands became the first country to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. On April 1, the mayor of Amsterdam married four couples in City Hall. As of 2024, gay marriage is legal in 36 countries, the most recent of which was Greece.

Dutch couple Gert Kasteel and Dolf Pasker look back on their wedding 20 years ago in the world’s first legally-recognised same-sex wedding, March 31, 2021. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

In 1999, Nunavut is created
The central-north Canadian territory of Nunavut stretches across much of the Canadian Arctic and was settled by ancestors of the Inuit c. 1000. After passing through British possession in the 18th century, it was transferred to Canada in 1870. In 1976 a political organization called for creation of a territory to settle Inuit claims in the Northwest Territories. The Canadian government approved the proposal in 1993. Nunavut’s first elections were held in February 1999, and the territory was inaugurated on April 1, 1999.

Flag of Nunavut territory. SHUTTERSTOCK

In 1976, Apple Computer Inc. is founded

Apple Inc. was created by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Their first computer was manufactured in the Jobs family’s garage. The Apple II premiered in 1977 and became a huge success earning the company $100 million by 1980. It has since become one of the leading computer tech companies worldwide.

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