Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, June 26, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hard-hitting
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The SimurghSimurgh is the modern Persian name for a mythical, benevolent flying creature found in all periods of Greater Iranian art and literature as well as in the iconography of medieval Armenia and Byzantium. The simurgh is depicted as a female, winged creature with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion. It is said to be large enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. According to Iranian legends, the bird is so old that it has seen the destruction of the world how many times? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 "Ich bin ein Berliner" (1963)In 1963, US President John F. Kennedy traveled to West Berlin to show support for those living behind the Berlin Wall, hemmed in by Soviet-controlled East Germany. Considered a key moment in the Cold War, Kennedy's speech boosted morale for West Germans, who feared Communist occupation. Kennedy was apparently coached on the pronunciation of the famous line "Ich bin ein Berliner"—"I am a Berliner"—just before taking the stage. Why has it been reported that he in fact said "I am a jelly doughnut"? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Abner Doubleday (1819)Doubleday was a US Army officer who distinguished himself in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter and saw action at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. He also served in the Mexican and Seminole Wars. He retired from the army in 1873 and wrote many articles, including two accounts of his war experiences, drawing on his 67 volumes of diaries. For years, accounts persisted that he invented the game of baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839. Did he? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Heidi Festival (2020)The town of New Glarus, Wisconsin, has celebrated the annual Heidi Festival since the 1960s. Founded in 1845 by immigrants from the Swiss canton of Glaurus, the town of New Glarus, Wisconsin, continued to attract Swiss immigrants over the years. Today it celebrates its cultural heritage in its yearly Volksfest and Heidi Festival. The Heidi Festival revolves around four performances of Heidi, Johanna Spyri's well-known play about a young Swiss shepherdess. The festival also includes opportunities to enjoy Swiss music, food, and dancing. More... | |