Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 10, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 CrownsThe use of crowns as symbols of royal rank is an ancient tradition that dates back to Achaemenid Persia and Pharaonic Egypt. Crowns in ancient Greece and Rome—wreaths of leaves or ribbons—were awarded to victors of contests or bestowed upon citizens to recognize acts of public service. In medieval and more modern times, crowns were generally made of metal, often gold inlaid with precious gems. According to legend, what ruler surprised the pope by crowning himself during a coronation ceremony? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Magellan Space Probe Reaches Venus (1990)The first planetary spacecraft to be launched from a space shuttle, Magellan took 15 months to reach its destination, arriving in orbit around the second planet from the Sun in August 1990. It was then put to work generating high-resolution maps of Venus's surface and measuring the planet's gravity. Four years later, with its mission complete, Magellan plunged into Venus's tremendously dense atmosphere and disintegrated. What do Magellan's images reveal about the planet? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henri Nestlé (1814)Born in Germany, Nestlé was the 11th of 14 children—only half of whom survived to adulthood. After apprenticing to a pharmacist in the 1830s, he began to work on an infant food that could serve as a substitute for breast milk for struggling babies. Combining milk, flour, and sugar, he created the first commercial infant formula and founded what is today the largest processed foods company in the world. The Nestlé company logo is derived from the family coat of arms, which includes what image? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nothing in the world is harder than speaking the truth and nothing easier than flattery.Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Perseids Meteor Shower (2020)A meteor shower occurs when a number of meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere at approximately the same time and place. Since the year 36 CE there have been records of an annual meteor shower known as the Perseids (because it appears to originate in the constellation Perseus) that is most observable during the nights of August 10-12. Observers everywhere except the South Pole can see as many as 60 meteors an hour streak across the sky on what is often referred to as the Night of the Shooting Stars. More... | |