Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Tuesday, February 7
    Trending
    • This Day in History on February 7th
    • History Short: When Was the First Untethered Space Walk?
    • Headline: Deadly Earthquakes Hits Turkey
    • This Day in History on February 6th
    • History Short: When Were Microchips Invented?
    • The 2023 China Balloon Incident: A Compilation
    • Short Headline: Why Did Biden Wait to Shoot Down Chinese Balloon?
    • Short Headline: China Balloon Shootdown and Controversy
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Society»Crime»February 23, 2010: The Greatest Prank Calls in History!
    Crime

    February 23, 2010: The Greatest Prank Calls in History!

    Major DanBy Major DanFebruary 23, 2016Updated:February 11, 20207 Comments3 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp

    A Brief History

    On February 23, 2010, pranksters pulled off what some consider the greatest series of prank calls in history!

    Digging Deeper

    Digging deeper, we find a neighborhood in Sugar Creek, Missouri the scene of the incident, at least on the victims’ side. (Why do they say Mizz-ur-uh when the state’s name ends in “i?” Just wondering…)

    Usually referred to as “A Nightmare on Burton Street” (derived from the film title A Nightmare on Elm Street), the prank calls consisted of 7 calls made by one or two pranksters using soundboards.

    Soundboards are recordings of other people, often other victims of prank calls, that are broken down into single words or phrases and put together to “talk” to the victim.  For those not familiar with the prankster community, some of these soundboards are quite well known and used by multiple pranksters.  Recordings of the calls are often posted on YouTube, and although frequently infuriating to the victims, they are usually harmless enough and sometimes even amuse the person being pranked.

    This time, things were different!  The Nightmare on Burton Street calls were full of profanity, yelling and threats, causing some controversy amongst prank callers as to whether or not the calls went too far.

    Victims apparently thought so, for the police were contacted and the story appeared on television news.

    The prank-call community went into panic mode and many pranksters deleted files out of fear of being prosecuted.  Calmer heads posted advice to other pranksters to keep things more civil and even amusing for the victims to avoid police investigations.  They were also advised to not make multiple calls to the same victim (to avoid harassment charges) and that they should be familiar with laws governing recording phone calls and threats.

    Prank (or “crank” as some folks say) calls have been around nearly as long as the telephone and have even generated mainstream media acceptance, such as with the Crank Yankers television show.  The advent of soundboards took the hobby to a new level.  Please be careful if you are considering joining the prank community and remember the point is to be funny, not mean, demeaning or terrorizing.  By the way, is your refrigerator running?

    Better go catch it!

    Question for students (and subscribers): Have you ever been the victim of a prank call?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For some real gems as far as funny prank phone calls go, please listen to…

    Touch-Tone Terrorists.  A Permanent Lapse of Reason [Explicit].  JunkyardWillie.com, INC, 2008.

    Touch-Tone Terrorists.  Appetite for Disruption [Explicit].  JunkyardWillie.com, INC, 2008.

    Touch-Tone Terrorists.  Customer Service Disasters.  Infestation Records, 2000.  Audio CD.

    Touch-Tone Terrorists.  Junkyard Willie Prank Call Tapes: Customer Service.  Old Chicken, 2002.  Audio CD.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleOur Top 10 Articles of 2013
    Next Article February 24, 1989: 9 People Sucked Out the Door of United Flight 811
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    History Short: What Poison Gasses were Used in World War I?

    January 31, 2023

    History Short: What is the Axis of Evil?

    January 29, 2023

    History Short: Who was the First National Leader Assassinated by Firearm?

    January 23, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    This Day in History on February 7th

    February 7, 2023

    History Short: When Was the First Untethered Space Walk?

    February 7, 2023

    Headline: Deadly Earthquakes Hits Turkey

    February 6, 2023

    This Day in History on February 6th

    February 6, 2023

    History Short: When Were Microchips Invented?

    February 6, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2022 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.