Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 20, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dustup
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Infinitives vs. Bare InfinitivesAn infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. It is "unmarked" (which means that it is not conjugated for tense or person), and it is preceded by the particle "to." How are infinitives distinct from a similar construction known as "bare infinitives" or the "base forms" of verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Cat's-Whisker DetectorBefore the advent of vacuum tubes and transistor technology, early radio devices received signals with the help of the cat's whisker detector. An early and somewhat unstable electronic component, the detector was an integral part of the crystal radio sets that came into use in the early 1900s. Though obsolete today, the detectors are still manufactured for antique radio hobbyists. The device consists of a thin wire that lightly touches a crystal of a natural semiconducting mineral such as what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Nazi Officials Decide on "The Final Solution" (1942)In early 1942, Nazi officials held a conference at Lake Wannsee in Berlin to discuss what "final solution" would be used to eliminate the Jewish population of Europe. On paper, the plan called for gathering Jews into camps for deportation to work details in the East. The official record of the meeting does not mention killing but notes that the "evacuation" was to happen as soon as possible. Who later admitted that the actual conversation at the meeting differed significantly from the record? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Allan Haines Lockheed (1889)Though Malcolm and Allan Loughead attended only elementary school, the mechanically gifted brothers built their first airplane in 1913. Malcolm soon left the industry, but Allan persisted. Though several of his aircraft companies failed, his name—with the spelling changed to Lockheed—would eventually be connected to one of the world's largest aerospace manufacturers. Who once turned down a flight in Lockheed's first plane by saying he would not fly in any plane "for all the money in California"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I have made a plan for my life, as I am in my teens, and no more a child.Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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receive (one's) just deserts— To receive that which one deserves, especially a punishment or unfavorable outcome. (Note: The phrase is often misspelled as "just desserts," due to the pronunciation of "deserts" and "desserts" being the same in this context.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Azerbaijan Day of the Martyrs (2021)On January 20, 1990, Soviet troops entered the Azerbaijan capital city of Baku to quell protests by Azerbaijani nationals, who were agitating for freedom from Soviet rule. Soviet soldiers were responsible for the deaths of 131 people, and the events have come to be known as "Black January." The national holiday on January 20 honors those who died at the hands of the Soviet troops. Flags are flown at half-mast across the country, and the tragedy is commemorated at Martyrs' Lane, where photographs of the victims decorate the tombstones and the president lays a wreath at the Eternal Fire. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: utterance | |