Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, November 23, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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monotonous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositions of AgencyA preposition of agency describes a person or a thing that has caused or is causing something to occur. Sentences containing prepositions of agency are usually written in the passive voice and employ which two prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Red River Ox CartsRed River ox carts were a vital form of transportation during the 19th-century westward expansion in the US and Canada. They carried fur to trading posts in places like St. Paul, Minnesota, and then carried supplies back to settlements along the Red River of the North, which now forms the Minnesota–North Dakota border. Built entirely of wood and animal hide—and no metal—the carts typically had two wheels, which were notorious for their constant creaking. Why couldn't their axles be greased? 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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 Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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of no account— Of no or very little importance, significance, or worth. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Repudiation Day (2021)The Stamp Act of 1765 forced the American colonies to pay a tax on various official documents and publications, such as legal papers, liquor permits, lawyers' licenses, and school diplomas. In defiance of the new law, the court of Frederick County, Maryland, declared that it would carry on its business without the tax stamps required by the Act. The date on which the Stamp Act was repudiated, November 23, has been observed for many years as a half-holiday in Frederick County to commemorate this courageous act. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sedimentdecant - Means to pour wine, taking pains not to disturb any sediment at the bottom; decant comes from Latin de- and canthus, "angular lip of a jug." More... allogenic, allochthonous - Geological material that has been transported and then accumulates elsewhere is allochthonous, and sediment carried by a river is allogenic. More... lithification - The process of compaction of sediment into stone. More... | |