In the age of caller ID and robocalls, it's hard to imagine a time when the phone was a novelty item, and making a call was an exciting event. But back in 1884, the phone was still a new invention, and people were still trying to figure out what it was good for.
That's when a mischievous teenager named Frank "Kugleman" Sholes decided to play a little joke on the world. Using his father's newly installed phone line, Frank placed what is now considered the world's first prank phone call.
The recipient of the call was none other than the local undertaker, who was already feeling a little uneasy about the newfangled device. When Frank asked if he could speak to "Mr. Casket," the undertaker was understandably alarmed.
But Frank wasn't done yet. He went on to ask if the undertaker could come to his house right away and measure him for a coffin. When the undertaker asked who he was speaking to, Frank replied, "I'm the angel of death."
The undertaker, of course, was not amused. But the story quickly spread, and soon prank phone calls were all the rage. People all over the world were making calls to unsuspecting victims, pretending to be everything from famous celebrities to aliens from outer space.
It wasn't until the invention of caller ID and the rise of telemarketing that prank calls fell out of favor. But for a brief moment in history, they were the height of hilarity.
Of course, prank phone calls are still around today, but they've lost some of their novelty. These days, most people just ignore the calls, or worse, block the numbers. But every once in a while, a truly inspired prankster will come up with a new twist on an old classic, and the world will be reminded of the power of a well-executed prank.
So the next time you get a call from an unknown number, remember that it might just be a prankster trying to make you laugh. And who knows? Maybe you'll even be inspired to try your hand at the world's second-oldest profession.
0 comments:
Post a Comment