On this day: April 27

How the Piltdown Forgery Was First Challenged (April 27, 1912)

On April 27, 1912, scientists publicly questioned the authenticity of the Piltdown skull fragments—an early, documented challenge to a staged scientific fraud that would later be exposed as deliberate forgery.

London’s First Public Zoo Opens in 1828

On April 27, 1828, London saw the opening of its first public zoological garden, offering paying visitors structured displays of exotic animals and marking a shift toward public scientific education and urban leisure.