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Mary Toft's Rabbit-Birth Hoax
- Mary Toft, a poor English woman in 1726, claimed to give birth to rabbits as part of an elaborate hoax.
- Animal parts were smuggled inside her body to produce convincing but false evidence of rabbit births.
Maternal Imagination Theory Explained
- The popular 18th century theory of maternal imagination explained physical traits of babies as influenced by what the mother saw.
- This belief made people accept Mary Toft's rabbit births as plausible at the time.
Sid Finch: Legendary Baseball Hoax
- In 1985, the New York Mets played along with an April Fools' Day Sports Illustrated hoax about Sid Finch, a fictional superhuman pitcher.
- The hoax captivated fans with amazing feats and an elaborate backstory, fooling many.