Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 18, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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bric-a-brac
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Pike and ShotThough the earliest guns were developed in the 14th century, they did not immediately replace all other weapons. Rather, the armies of Europe began using combined formations in which troops armed with newfangled firearms—"shot"—fought alongside those with large, reliable spears—"pike." Known as "pike and shot," the technique represented a transitional period in the history of warfare. By the end of the 17th century, pikes had been replaced by bayonets. When did US troops carry pikes into battle? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 World's First Communications Satellite Launched (1958)Today, communications satellites are widely used to provide internet access, TV and radio broadcasting, and mobile telephone service, even to areas where traditional cable service is unfeasible. The first such satellite, launched by the US Air Force, was Project SCORE (Signal Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment). It was equipped with two tape recorders—each with a four-minute capacity—and batteries that would last for 12 days. What was the first message broadcast from the satellite? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joseph Grimaldi (1778)Grimaldi was an English actor who is considered the inventor of the modern clown character. He made his debut as a young child at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, and for years he performed there and at Drury Lane. By the time he starred in Harlequin Mother Goose at Covent Garden in 1806, he was a legend. He is credited with introducing the white makeup now commonly worn by clowns. Exhausted by the physical exertion of clowning, he died in 1837. What famous author edited his memoirs? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Eulogy, n.: Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Modesto's Day (2020)St. Modesto is the patron saint of farmers in Greece. His feast day is celebrated with various rituals in honor of farm animals. In Lemnos, kollyva (cooked wheat berries) and holy water are mixed with their fodder, while in Lesbos, the holy water is sprinkled on the fields to ward off locusts and disease. For horses and oxen, December 18 is a day of rest. The Eastern Orthodox Church reserves this day to commemorate St. Modestus, who was patriarch of Jerusalem from 631 to 634. He is known for a sermon he preached on the bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. More... | |