Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 24, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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overwrought
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| Article of the Day | |
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 TorcsA torc is a large, usually rigid, collar, necklace, or armband typically made of twisted metal. Its name, which means "to twist" in Latin, is derived from this design. A sign of nobility, torcs are made of bronze, gold, and other materials and were worn by cultures of the European Iron Age, such as the Scythians, Thracians, and Celts. Most torcs are open-ended at the front, although many seem to have been designed for near-permanent wear. What ancient sculpture features a figure wearing a torc? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Ascent of the Eiger's North Face (1938)Switzerland's Eiger mountain was first summited in 1858, but the sheer north face of the 13,025-foot (3,970-m) Alpine peak was not successfully climbed until 1938, when two independent pairs of climbers met on the face, joined forces, and reached the summit as a team. It has been climbed many times since, sadly with many fatalities, which, due to the cliff's high visibility, occur in full view of nearby villages. Since 1935, how many people have died climbing the Eiger's so-called Murder Wall? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Amelia Mary Earhart (1897)After attending an air show in 1920, Earhart, who had previously worked as a military nurse and a social worker, decided she wanted to become a pilot. She bought her first plane the following year. In 1928, she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger, and four years later, she became the first female pilot to make the trip solo. In 1937, her plane mysteriously vanished over the Pacific as she and a copilot attempted to circumnavigate the globe. What happened to them? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Clairvoyant, n.: A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron, namely, that he is a blockhead.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cornouaille Festival (2020)The Celtic heritage of the Breton people comes alive every year in Quimper, a town in the district of Cornouaille. Located in Brittany, a region in northwestern France, Quimper has hosted this festival of traditional dance, music, storytelling, food, and games for more than 70 years. People dress in Breton costumes, which include elaborate lace bonnets for the women and shallow, brimmed hats for the men. Many of Brittany's inhabitants still speak the ancient Celtic language brought to the region by its first settlers some 2,500 years ago. More... | |