Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 14, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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.jpg) CaltropsA caltrop is a metal device with four projecting spikes arranged so that when any three spikes are on the ground, the fourth points upward. It can be used to damage feet, hooves, and—more commonly nowadays—tires. The earliest recorded use of caltrops was in the 331 BCE Battle of Gaugamela. Even in the 20th century, when mechanized warfare became the norm and horses were replaced with wheeled vehicles, caltrops retained their usefulness on the battlefield. How have they been used outside of war? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 British Troops Are Deployed in Northern Ireland (1969)In August 1969, tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland came to a head in the predominantly-Catholic Bogside neighborhood of Londonderry. For days, fighting raged with Catholic residents on one side and police and Protestant residents on the other. On August 14, British troops were deployed to restore order. Some consider that day to be the definitive beginning of the decades-long conflict known as The Troubles. How did residents react to the arrival of the army? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hans Christian Ørsted (1777)Ørsted was a Danish physicist and chemist. In 1820, he discovered that electric current passing through a wire can deflect a nearby compass needle, a phenomenon that inspired the development of electromagnetic theory. His 1820 discovery of piperine, one of the pungent components of pepper, was an important contribution to chemistry. In 1824, he founded a society devoted to the spread of scientific knowledge among the general public. What unit of measurement was named after him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 No man is offended by another man's admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Great Battle of Hansan Festival (2020)The Great Battle of Hansan Festival is held annually in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, for four days in August. This colorful and eventful celebration marks the stunning victory of Admiral Yi Sun-sin over the Japanese navy at the Battle of Hansan during the Imjin War (1592-1598). A re-enactment of the battle in the waters off Tongyeong is the undisputed highlight of the event, but dozens of associated activities are also held, including a commemorative parade; performances of music, dance, and drama; art exhibitions; and lectures. More... | |