Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, March 24, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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intaglio
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PeriodsThe period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. When typing, how many spaces should be used after a period? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 GulagThe Gulag was a system of forced-labor prison camps in the USSR, from the Russian acronym for the Main Directorate of Corrective Labor Camps, a department of the Soviet secret police. It was first established under Lenin during the early Bolshevik years and ultimately included 476 camp complexes. The system reached its peak after 1928 under Stalin, who used it to maintain the Soviet state by keeping its populace in a state of terror. Whose book publicized the gulag system to the Western world? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Elvis Presley Inducted into the US Army (1958)Though World War II ended in 1945, military conscription in the US continued in peacetime, and in 1957, the 22-year-old "King of Rock and Roll" was drafted for a two-year stint in the army. Despite concerns about his career, Presley did not try to avoid service and was inducted into the army at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, in a ceremony mobbed by photographers. Five months later, and just a month before he was shipped out to Germany, Presley was granted a short emergency leave for what reason? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (1930)After a tumultuous childhood, reform school, and a stint in the US Marines, McQueen studied acting in New York, earning money on the weekends by racing motorcycles. He gained attention on Broadway and went on to star as a cool, stoic loner in many films, including The Great Escape and Papillon. In Bullitt's famous car chase scene, he even did some of the stunt driving. When he was 18 years old, McQueen saved the lives of five fellow Marines in the Arctic. How? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a/the right to (something)— To have the just or legal permission, privilege, or authority to have or own something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Alahamady Be (2020)Alahamady Be is New Year's Day in Madagascar. The Malagasy new year traditionally begins in March, with the appearance of the year's first new moon. People put on their best clothes, feast, give presents, and sing religious songs. The celebration is particularly festive in the capital city of Antananarivo. The townspeople make their way to the sacred royal hill known as Ambohimanga to offer prayers to the departed. When these devotions are completed, it's time to eat. The feasting is an opportunity for families and friends to get together and wish each other luck in the coming year. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shoulderhobo - A style of handbag or purse that is typically large and characterized by a crescent shape, a slouchy posture and a long strap designed to wear over the shoulder. More... lane - A narrow, often bucolic, path that lacks a shoulder or median; it can also be a division of a larger road. More... jowl - The head and shoulders of certain fishes, such as salmon and sturgeon. More... trousseau - The French diminutive of truss or bundle—the thing that tramps or runaways carry tied to a stick over their shoulders. More... | |