The Ringing of Revolution
Discover More
Well Revered
This weekend is the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride, warning Boston-area residents that the British were coming. Here’s more on how Revere, a middle-class metallurgist, became a Revolutionary War folk hero, immortalized in legend and verse.
Paul Revere’s father, Apollos Rivoire (later changed to Revere), was a Huguenot refugee who had come to Boston as a child and had been apprenticed to a silversmith. He taught the craft to his son Paul, who became one of America’s greatest artists in silver. Paul Revere also crafted surgical instruments, sold spectacles, and engraved copper plates, the most famous of which portrayed his version of the Boston Massacre. Revere enthusiastically supported the patriot cause, and as a leader of Boston’s mechanic class, he provided an invaluable link between artisans and intellectuals. He participated in the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and was also the principal rider for Boston’s Committee of Safety, regularly making journeys to New York and Philadelphia in its service.
Is there life on K2-18b?Could there be life on the extrasolar planet K2-18b? Astronomers have announced the likely detection of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in the atmosphere of the planet (rendered below), which is 124 light-years away. On Earth, those molecules are produced only by life, specifically phytoplankton and bacteria. However, more observations are needed before extraterrestrial life can be definitely said to exist.
Popular on Britannica
Features
- Causes of the Great Depression
- What If the President Is Impeached?
- Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
- What Do Eggs Have to Do with Easter?
- 6 Important Mughal Emperors
- Timeline of the Titanic’s Final Hours
- 7 of the World’s Most Poisonous Mushrooms
- What is Holy Week?
- Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture
- Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich?
Lists
- 9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
- Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs
- 10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish
- 9 Mind-Altering Plants
- 7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks
- Weapons of World War I
- 9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals
- 10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
- 12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
- The World’s 5 Most Commonly Used Writing Systems
Featured Games
See All
Trending Quizzes
See All Quizzes
Britannica Premium Subscription
Unlock Exclusive Content!
Britannica's content is among the most trusted in the world. Subscribe to Britannica Premium and unlock our entire database of trusted content today.Subscribe Now!
