By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world.
βRalph Waldo Emerson, from βConcord Hymnβ
Patriots Day commemorates the events of April 19, 1775, that marked the start of the American Revolutionary War, especially the midnight rides of Paul Revere and others to warn of the approach of British troops, and the battles of Lexington and Concord. Today, Massachusetts and Maine celebrate Patriots Day as a legal holiday on the third Monday in April, with reenactments and other events.
Learn more about the first shots fired on Lexington Green to βthe shot heard round the worldβ at Concord’s North Bridge by visiting the Minute Man National Park in Concord. The annual running of the Boston Marathon also takes place on this day. You may want to do your patriotic duty and check out the official Web site of the Boston Marathon, sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association.β
Question of the Day
What are some ways that people paid taxes in the past?
In biblical times, taxes were paid with herbs such as anise, and in medieval Europe, people used honey to pay their taxes.
Advice of the Day
To keep a cat at home, rub its paws with butter.
Home Hint of the Day
Every finish has a solvent. For liquid (as opposed to dried) varnish, it’s likely to be turpentine; for shellac, denatured alcohol; for lacquer, lacquer thinner.
Word of the Day
Aphelion
The point in a planetβs orbit that is farthest from the Sun.
Puzzle of the Day
What did one arithmetic book say to the other arithmetic book?
Boy, do I have problems!
Born
Leonardo da Vinci(artist)β
Bessie Smith(legendary blues singer)β
Elizabeth Montgomery(American actress
)β
Emma Thompson(actress)β
Luke Evans(actor)β
Emma Watson(actress)β
Died
Abraham Lincoln(16th U.S. president)β
Jean-Paul Sartre(writer & philosopher)β
Greta Garbo(actress)β
John Curry(figure skater)β
Byron White(Supreme Court justice)β
Events
American School for the Deaf founded in Hartford, Connecticutβ
First state entomologist position approved, New Yorkβ
President Lincoln called for 75,000 Union militia volunteersβ
Last day U.S. silver coins allowed to circulate in Canadaβ
Canadian thanksgiving day held after Prince of Wales recovered from serious illnessβ
General Electric Co. is incorporatedβ
R.M.S. Titanic sank in early morning after striking iceberg on April 14th in late eveningβ
First Canadian small penny coin releasedβ
Insulin became available for general useβ
After acquiring franchising rights from the McDonald brothers, Dick and Maurice, Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s chain restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinoisβ
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel opened, Virginia-Delmarva Peninsulaβ
First national lottery drawing in Canadaβ
Weather
Tornado in Alabamaβ
Boulder, Colorado, received 76 inches of snow in 24 hoursβ