<P> The towns of Lexington and Concord and their partisans have debated over the point of origin for the Revolutionary War since 1824, when the Marquis de Lafayette visited the towns . He was welcomed to Lexington hearing it described as the "birthplace of American liberty", but he was then informed in Concord that the "first forcible resistance" was made there . President Grant considered not attending the 1875 centennial celebrations in the area to evade the issue . In 1894, Lexington petitioned the state legislature to proclaim April 19 as "Lexington Day", to which Concord objected; the current name for the holiday is Patriots' Day . </P> <P> Emerson lived in a house known as the Old Manse at the time when he was composing the "Concord Hymn," from which his grandfather and father (then a young child) had witnessed the skirmish . The house is located approximately 300 feet (91 m) from the North Bridge . </P> <P> The phrase "shot heard round the world" has taken on a different meaning in Europe and in the Commonwealth of Nations, countries that were part of the British Empire and formerly known as the British Commonwealth . It has become associated with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, an event considered to be one of the immediate causes of World War I. Serbian Gavrilo Princip fired two shots, the first hitting Franz Ferdinand's wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, and the second hitting the Archduke himself . The death of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro - Hungarian throne, propelled Austria - Hungary and the rest of Europe into World War I . </P> <P> "Shot heard round the world" continues to be a stock phrase in the 21st century, widely used to refer to unusual events in general, and has been applied to numerous dramatic moments in sports . For example, it refers to the winning goal of Paul Henderson in the final seconds of the 8th and final match to secure Team Canada's victory in the 1972 Canada - USSR Summit - series . The goal was made famous by a Frank Lennon photograph . </P>

Who fired the shot heard round the world