Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, August 20, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sectionalism
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Nominal AdjectivesNominal adjectives perform the function of a noun in a sentence. They are preceded by the word "the" and can be the subject or object of a sentence or clause. What are some nominal adjectives that are used to refer to groups of people? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Great Boston Fire of 1872The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire and remains one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history, causing $73.5 million in damages. Numerous factors contributed to the fire, not the least of which was the lax enforcement of Boston's building regulations which, coupled with the practice of over-insuring buildings, left no real incentive to build fire-safe structures. How many years did it take to rebuild the burnt district? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Infamous Menendez Brothers Murder Their Parents (1989)The trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez for the cold-blooded murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion captivated the nation. The "bereaved" sons initially escaped suspicion, but in the months after the murders, they went on a spending spree with their parents' money, to the tune of over $1 million, that raised a few eyebrows. Still, the pair might never have been arrested, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, had not who come forward? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Raymond Poincaré (1860)A career statesman, Poincaré ascended to the highest echelons of French government, serving as prime minister on several occasions and as president from 1913 to 1920. In the lead-up to World War I, Poincaré, a conservative and nationalist, worked to prepare France for possible hostilities, strengthening its military and its alliances with Russia and Britain. His efforts paid off, and Germany was defeated by the Allied Powers in 1918. What prompted him to send French troops into Germany in 1923? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you can keep him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be made of sterner stuff— To be very strong, determined, or of uncompromising character, especially in comparison to others. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Stephen's Day (Hungary) (2021)The founding of Hungary is commemorated on August 20, which is also the feast day of the founder of the country, St. Stephen of Hungary (c. 975-1038). He assumed the kingship in 1000 and worked to unite the various clans into a single Christian state. In 1950, the day was changed to Constitution Day by the communist regime, but it began celebrating St. Stephen again in 1990. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slaughterfatstock - Livestock fattened for slaughter. More... massacre - Comes from Latin mazacrium/masacrium, "slaughter." More... slaughter - From Old Norse, meaning "butcher's meat." More... homicide, murder, manslaughter - The general term for the killing of a person by another is homicide; murder is either the intentional killing or the malicious killing of another, while manslaughter is the unintentional, accidental killing of another through carelessness. More... | |