How Steve Wozniak Pranked the World with His Genius

Steve Wozniak, or Woz as he is affectionately known, is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of personal computing and a co-founder of Apple. But he is also a notorious prankster who has pulled off some hilarious and outrageous stunts in his life. Here are some of his most memorable pranks that showcase his creativity, humor, and technical skills.

Hacking the Vatican Phone System

In 1971, Wozniak and his friend John Draper, also known as Captain Crunch, discovered a way to make free long-distance phone calls using a device called a blue box. A blue box is a device that generates tones that can manipulate the phone system and trick it into connecting calls without charging. Wozniak and Draper used the blue box to call various places around the world, including the White House and Buckingham Palace.

But their most audacious prank was when they decided to call the Vatican and pretend to be Henry Kissinger, the then US Secretary of State. Wozniak used his talent for imitating accents and voices to impersonate Kissinger and asked to speak to the Pope, who was sleeping at the time. The Vatican officials were suspicious and asked for a phone number to call back. Wozniak gave them the number of a local pizza place and hung up. He later said that he regretted not waiting for the Pope to wake…