The modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster was born when a sighting made local news on 2 May 1933.

"On Friday last, a well known business man, who lives near Inverness, & his wife, a university graduate, when motoring along the north shore not far from Abriachan Pier, were startled to see a tremendous upheaval on the loch, which previously had been calm as a mill pond. The lady was first to notice the disturbance which occurred fully three quarters of a mile from the shore & it was her sudden cries which directed her husband's attention to the water. There the creature disported itself, rolling & plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling that of a whale & the water cascading & surging like a simmering cauldron." Inverness Courier Tuesday 2 May 1933

The story of the "monster" became a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound sterling reward for capture of the beast.

Since it was first reported more than 60 years ago, hundreds claim to have witnessed the Loch Ness Monster

Thousands of tourists visit Loch Ness every year in the hope they might catch a glimpse of the beast.

The Loch Ness monster, despite uncertainty about her existence, makes about £6million a year in tourism.

Where and what is Loch Ness?

Loch Ness, located in the Scottish Highlands, is the largest volume of fresh water in Great Britain; the body of water reaches a depth of nearly 800 feet and a length of about 23 miles.

To read more about the Loch Ness Monster, visit:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness/legend.html

Also on this day ...

2 May 1961: The maiden voyage of the QE2 to New York