Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, January 17, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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arcadian
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Examples of PrepositionsPrepositions are used to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun (or another grammatical element functioning as a noun) to the rest of the sentence. The noun or pronoun that is connected by the preposition is known as the "object of the preposition." What are some common prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Curse of the NinthThe Curse of the Ninth is the superstition that a composer will die after writing a ninth symphony. Belief in the curse arose after Beethoven, Dvorák, and Schubert—among others—all died after composing their ninth symphonies. Mahler, perhaps the first prominent composer to fear the curse, attempted to elude it by naming his ninth symphony "The Song of the Earth," but he died after writing "Symphony No. 9"—which was technically his 10th. Who are the other supposed victims of the curse? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Great Brink's Robbery (1950)After months of planning a heist on Boston's Brink's building, a band of 11 robbers put the plan in motion on January 17, 1950. Seven men dressed like Brink's workers—but with masks and gloves—entered the building around 7 PM and left with $2.7 million about 30 minutes later. The robbers conspired not to touch the bulk of the money until the statute of limitations expired. It appeared to be the perfect crime, but the gang members were arrested in 1956. How did they get caught? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alphonse "Al" Capone (1899)Chicago in the 1920s was a city of vice, corruption, and murder, with gangster leader Capone at the forefront. During Prohibition, Capone operated and organized speakeasies, and his control soon extended to gambling, brothels, and politics. "Scarface" Capone had his rivals murdered, and he forcibly controlled election results throughout Chicago. At the peak of his power, he was arrested—ironically—for tax evasion. He served time in the new Alcatraz prison before being released for what reason? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 She might hate me, and revile me, and heap indignity after indignity upon me, as she already had, until I should have hated her; but the pitiful fact remained that I loved her.Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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on the gravy train— In a state, position, or job where one makes an excessive amount of money without expending much or any effort. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Benjamin Franklin's Birthday (2022)Born in Boston on this day in 1706, Benjamin Franklin helped edit, and was a signer of, the Declaration of Independence. He also helped to frame the Constitution. When he died in 1790 in Philadelphia, he was given the most impressive funeral that city had ever seen: 20,000 people attended. In Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute Science Museum holds a two-day "birthday bash" that often involves people dressing as Franklin. The celebration takes place on the weekend preceding Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is the Monday after January 15. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: runnerrunner - A blade of a skate or sled. The supports on which a drawer slides are also called runners. More... dromedary, Bactrian - A one-hump camel is a dromedary (from Latin, meaning "swift camel," from Greek dromas, "runner") and a two-hump camel is a Bactrian (from Bactria in Asia). More... cursor - First meant "runner" or "running messenger" and is now the moving/movable indicator on a computer screen. More... dromomania - A mania for roaming or running, from Latin dromas. More... | |