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The story of Rome’s foundation exists in various interpretations, but the most recognized version features Romulus and Remus, twins born to Princess Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. According to legend, they were abandoned and nurtured by a she-wolf along the banks of the River Tiber. As they grew older, they decided to establish their own city. However, they soon found themselves at odds over where to build it. In one account, Romulus marked the borders of the city by plowing a furrow around Palatine Hill. In a fit of mockery, Remus jumped over the furrow to taunt Romulus, leading to Romulus fatally striking him down. He is famously quoted as saying, “So perish anyone else who shall leap over my walls,” thus solidifying his position as the sole founder and first king of Rome.
Is there any truth to this tale? According to classicist Mary Beard, it is likely a complete myth. She asserts that there was likely no single founding moment for Rome and that Romulus himself was a fabricated character, with the narrative of his conflict with Remus possibly mirroring Rome’s turbulent history during civil wars. Nevertheless, the Romans embraced the legend wholeheartedly, celebrating a narrative that provided them with a sense of identity and history.
21 April 1142
Peter Abelard, a prominent scholar and theologian known for his intellectual debates and tragic love affair with Heloise, passed away in Chalon-sur-Saône. While the exact location of his burial remains a topic of contention, some individuals propose that he is laid to rest alongside Heloise in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
21 April 1509
Henry VII of England succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 52 in his newly constructed palace in Richmond, Surrey. His death was kept under wraps for two days as those close to him maneuvered to secure their positions in preparation for the ascendance of his son, Henry VIII. Read more about the decline and death of Henry VIII
21 April 1643
In a significant military event, Royalist commander Prince Rupert successfully reclaimed Lichfield from parliamentary forces by detonating a section of the Cathedral Close walls. This marked the pioneer use of gunpowder for such military engineering purposes in England.
21 April 1857
In the United States, Alexander Douglas secured a patent for the bustle, a popular women’s fashion accessory that dramatically shaped Victorian dress styles.
21 April 1861
Isabella (Ella) Christie was born in Cockpen, Edinburgh. An accomplished traveler and gardener, she was noted for her extensive explorations across Asia, notably making two significant trips to Russian Turkestan in 1910 and 1912, becoming the first British woman to set foot in the state of Khiva.
21 April 1918
In a dramatic turn of events during World War I, the infamous German aviator Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, was brought down and killed by ground fire while flying over Allied territories at Morlancourt Ridge near the Somme.
21 April 1934: Nessie sparks a press circus
The Daily Mail ‘proves’ the existence of the Loch Ness Monster with a sensational front page photograph
A report featured in the Daily Mail on April 21, 1934, captured the public’s imagination with a headline proclaiming, ‘London Surgeon’s Photo of the Monster.’ The black-and-white image purportedly showed a dinosaur-like creature’s neck and head rising from the loch’s waters, attributed to respected London society gynaecologist Robert Kenneth Wilson. This publication seemingly validated the reality of the Loch Ness Monster.
The myth of Nessie can be traced back to the sixth century, but it truly gained traction in the 1930s, following several eyewitness accounts. In December 1933, the Mail commissioned big-game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell to discover the creature, who subsequently reported finding enormous footprints along the shore. A headline blared that the Loch Ness monster was “Not Legend But a Fact.” However, upon examination by experts from the Natural History Museum, these prints were deemed to have originated from a dead hippo’s foot, repurposed as an umbrella stand.
The ‘surgeon’s photograph’ appeared fortuitously at a moment ripe for sensationalism. Later revelations suggested that Wetherell and his stepson had fabricated the monster using a toy submarine, enlisting Wilson to lend credibility to their deception. “We’ll give them their monster,” Wetherell reportedly declared. Regardless of its authenticity, the image remains one of the most iconic photographs in history.
21 April 1960
Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, was officially inaugurated. The city, developed from the ground up at the heart of the country, featured architect Oscar Niemeyer as its key designer.
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Source
www.historyextra.com