If you were listening to NPR’s Talk of the Nation program on April 1, 1992, then you likely heard the shock of a lifetime. During that episode, disgraced former U.S. President Richard Nixon — who had resigned the presidency in 1974 — announced that he would seek the office in the 1992 election. Listeners were understandably confused, and called in to profess their opposition to the unexpected Nixon campaign. Later, though, they came to realize it was all a prank.
The ruse was concocted by NPR’s John Hockenberry, who had teamed up with political impersonator Rich Little. Little took to the airwaves doing his best Richard Nixon voice to announce his new campaign slogan: “I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Given that Nixon had already been elected President twice, he was ineligible to run again, but that didn’t stop mayhem from ensuing before NPR copped to the prank after a few minutes of fun.