The event remembered as the "shot heard 'round the world" refers to the first gunfire which sparked the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts. This phrase encapsulates the significance of the conflict's beginning, which ignited the struggle for American independence from British rule. Armed confrontation occurred between colonial militiamen and British troops, marking the transition from political dissent to armed rebellion. The skirmishes at Lexington and nearby Concord not only signified the start of revolution but also rallied support for the cause across the colonies, ultimately culminating in the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of a new nation.