(1698) April fools flock to the Tower of London
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Several gullible people are sent to the Tower of London to see the “washing of the lions” (a nonexistent practice), as will be reported April 2 by a London newspaper. The prank will endure for centuries, making clear that the tradition of tricking dupes on April 1 is becoming increasingly popular. . |
(1918) Britain’s Royal Air Force is formed
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Combing the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, the RAF is the world’s largest air force. Formed at the tail end of World War I, the force will find its greatest glory 22 years later during the Battle of Britain. . |
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(1919) Walter Gropius founds the Bauhaus school
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Architect Walter Gropius opens the Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany, to teach modernist art and design. Ideas that spring from the school will revolutionize the world’s aesthetic sense, from painting to textiles to architecture.. |
(1939) Spanish Civil War ends
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Almost three years after a coup against Spain’s elected leftist government sparked a bloody battle of ideologies, the country’s civil war is over and the right-leaning Nationalists, headed by General Francisco Franco, have won. . |
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