Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 23, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sanguineous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Yes/No QuestionsYes/No questions are simply questions that can be answered with either "yes" or "no." How are these exclusively formed? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Clifford IrvingIn 1970, American writer Clifford Irving hatched a scheme to create an "authorized autobiography" of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes—without his knowledge. Irving believed the reclusive Hughes would never draw attention to himself by denouncing the book. After producing forged letters, Irving obtained a contract and an advance from his publisher. He delivered a manuscript in 1971, but Hughes finally contacted the outside world in 1972 and revealed the book as a hoax. What happened to Irving? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Dr. Crippen Hanged for Wife's Murder (1910)More than 100 years after Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged for the alleged murder, dismemberment, and basement burial of his second wife, the controversial case continues to captivate. The case is compelling not only because it is so gruesome but also because Crippen became an international fugitive, fleeing with his lover aboard a Canada-bound ocean liner, and was the first criminal apprehended with the help of radiotelegraphy. What new evidence has called Crippen's guilt into question? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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_01.jpg) Alfonso the Wise, King of Castile and León (1221)Alfonso X, son and successor of Ferdinand III, sought to become Holy Roman Emperor but eventually renounced his claim due to Spanish antagonism and papal opposition. He crushed revolts by Muslims in 1252 and nobles in 1254, but once his eldest son was killed while fighting the Moors in 1275, civil war for succession broke out between Ferdinand's children and Alfonso's second son, who succeeded him as Sancho IV. Why is Alfonso depicted in the House of Representatives chamber of the US Capitol? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a cat nap— A very brief but restful period of sleep. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pushkar Mela (2018)Pushkar Fair is a camel fair and one of the best known of the Hindu religious fairs of India. It is held at Pushkar, the place where it is said a lotus flower slipped out of Lord Brahma's hands. Water sprang up where the petals fell and created the holy waters of Pushkar Lake. The commercial side of the fair features the sale of about 10,000 camels. Sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys are also sold there. Camel races are a highlight. On the night of the full moon (Kartika Purnima), devotees bathe in the waters of the lake and then make offerings of coconut and rice at the Brahma temple. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: linensash - From Arabic shash, first a roll of silk, linen, or gauze worn about the head, a turban. More... lingerie - Entered English meaning "linen articles collectively," from French linge, "linen." More... linsey-woolsey - First a cloth woven from linen and wool, the phrase was altered for the sake of a jingling sound. More... taffeta - Goes back to Persian taftah, "silken cloth, linen clothing." More... | |