Top of the class in college-humor history

"The CollegeHumor Guide to College" (from the pranksters at CollegeHumor.com) is a gleeful reminder of the hilarity that ensues during the best seven years of your life. Barely legals, greasy dorm food and newfound freedom is a hearty incubator for the giggles.

Since 1830 — when Princeton's now-defunct Chameleon magazine debuted — our country has been subject to countless frat, boob and beer jokes. And the keg stands keep coming. Here's a sampling of the best moments in this lurid comic form's history:

Harvard Lampoon debuts (1872): The Harvard Lampoon, the world's oldest continuously published humor rag, debuted in a huff, after no other publication on campus would print the original writers' jokes.

Claims to fame:

• In 1911 an entire issue was styled as a parody of Life Magazine.

• "No one ... elicited more mockery than freshmen, who for decades played the bathetic stooge, dupe or dumbbell in most of Lampy's two-liners," says the 100th anniversary issue. Translation: Freshmen have always been idiots.

• Alums have gone on to infect all areas of American comedy, including NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Saturday Night Live" and "Seinfeld"; Fox's "The Simpsons"; and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

"Horse Feathers" (1932): Think the college-movie genre started with "Animal House?" Think again. The Marx brothers hit the topic in their fourth film. Groucho plays professor Quincy Adams, whose son persuades him to add two new boozy players to the Huxley College football team. The movie's success landed the Marx brothers a spot on the cover of Time magazine.

Claims to fame:

• Cemented the idea that college sports were the perfect venue for physical humor.

"National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978): Inspired by "The Night of the Seven Fires," a short story that originally ran in the National Lampoon (a spinoff of that Harvard publication.) Though loosely based on Chris Miller's experiences at Dartmouth, Lampoon-alums Douglas Kenney and Harold Ramis — of "Ghostbusters" and "Analyze This!" fame — added to the script.

Claims to fame:

• Though it cost less than $3 million to make, it grossed more than $140 million. That's more than every other movie that year except for "Grease."

• Best use of mashed potatoes as a theatrical device.

• Inspired nearly every college movie since.

"Revenge of the Nerds" (1984): Typically ostracized to subplots, nerds finally get their time in the sun in this '80s classic. Set on the sprawling campus of Adams College, "Revenge" follows a group of students lured by Adams' computer program but are baited by the jocks of Alpha Beta.

Claim to fame:

• Presaged the complete takeover of the world by Bill Gates.

The Onion hits stands (1988): Tim Keck and Chris Johnson started satirical newspaper The Onion as college juniors at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Not one of its news "articles," including "Nancy Reagan Ends Nation's Drug Problem with Very Special Diff'rent Strokes Appearance" or "Controversial Christian Faction Believes Jesus Was Nailed To Two Parallel Pieces Of Wood" are real.

Claims to fame:

• Newspaper in China reprinted an Onion story about the U.S. Congress as fact.

• Stakes claim on every "area man, woman and child."

• TheOnion.com now gets more than 3 million readers a week

"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" debuts (1993): Taking the "Late Night" reins from David Letterman, Conan O'Brien — a lanky Harvard grad — quickly becomes a hit among college students.

Claims to fame:

• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog becomes America's most hated (and loved) hand puppet.

• Conan's likeness to the female president of Finland helps bolster her career.

Collegehumor.com launches (1999): Childhood buddies Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen started the site to share all of the photos, jokes and links their friends had been e-mailing each other.

Claims to fame:

• College kids supply the site's content.

• Introduced terms "The Shaming" and "The Shocker" to the world at large.

"Road Trip" (2000): College boys go on road trip, bond, handle large pair of underwear.

Claim to fame:

• Tom Green proves that his shtick can hold up under the weight of a feature-length film.

"Old School" (2003): Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson and "Saturday Night Live" alum Will Ferrell starred in what may be "Animal House" for the 21st century.

Claims to fame:

• Frank the Tank goes streaking.

• Mitch-a-Palooza

"The CollegeHumor Guide to College" (2006): Some sections are a bit too close to home to be funny, like the straight-laced guides to drinking games and drugs. But the bonus fake ID from the great state of "Alabaska: Where dreams come to die" is worth the cost of the book.