The pink flamingo, star of one of Madison’s greatest pranks, loses its creator

Noted: For Madison, though, the flamingo became an iconic symbol of the city in 1978, when UW-Madison students planted 1,008 of the birds on Bascom Hill to greet students on the first day of classes. The prank was the handiwork of the Pail & Shovel Party, which had won re-election to head the Wisconsin Students Association. The pranksters included Jim Mallon, who later went on to be one of the creators of the cult television hit “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”