Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 9, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pitiless
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Adverbs of PurposeAdverbs of purpose (sometimes called adverbs of reason) tell us why something happens or is the case. They can modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs. What parts of speech generally make up adverbs of purpose? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The February RevolutionThe February Revolution was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Though spontaneous and poorly organized, the revolution resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the start of a new, provisional government. It resulted from a number of factors—low confidence in the monarchy, a looming famine, and a series of failures in World War I, which Russia was ill-equipped to fight. How did Rasputin help to spur the revolution, even though he was dead? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Blood Attempts to Steal Crown Jewels of England (1671)Blood was an Irish-born adventurer who served under Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After Charles II returned to the throne, Blood fled to Ireland. He later attempted to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde but failed. In 1671, Blood and his accomplices made an infamous attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England. Having befriended the jewel keeper, Blood arranged a private viewing, during which time the men made off with the treasures. Why did Charles II pardon Blood? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 J. M. Barrie (1860)Barrie was a Scottish novelist and dramatist best known for his play Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Emotionally immature—likely due to his domineering mother—Barrie was prone to sentimentality in his writing. Yet his best works reveal a profound understanding of human nature and a capacity for irony and wit. His 1917 tragicomedy Dear Brutus is widely considered his best work. Why was Barrie disappointed with the statue of Peter Pan erected in Kensington Gardens, London? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I have often thought what a melancholy world this would be without children, and what an inhuman world without the aged.Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not do a stroke (of work)— To not do any work at all. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Victory Day (Russia) (2022)Victory Day is a national public holiday in the Russian Federation. It celebrates the defeat of Nazism and the end of World War II on European soil. On this day, people remember the 27 million Russian civilians and soldiers who perished during the war. Each year on May 9, people crowd Moscow's Red Square for solemn rites of remembrance—one minute of silence and cannon or gun salutes—as well as traditional musical and dance performances. Veterans may attend wearing their uniforms and medals. Many leave flowers at memorials and graves. TV stations often air films about World War II. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: turkeypoult - A young domestic fowl (like a turkey) being raised for food. More... meleagrine - The adjective form of turkey. More... wattle - The fleshy part hanging from the neck of a turkey or other bird. More... turkey - Originally the name for African guinea fowl, it eventually became the name for the Western hemisphere fowl with which the earlier fowl was confused; it is short for turkeycock or turkeyhen. More... | |