Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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anachronistic
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| Article of the Day | |
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 OrientalismThe term "Orientalism," when used to refer to Westerners' study of Eastern cultures and peoples, has negative connotations, implying old-fashioned, prejudiced, outsider interpretations of the East. However, the term also refers to the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers, artists, and architects. Examples include Western attempts—from the Renaissance to the 18th century—to imitate the technical sophistication of what Chinese art form? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Times Square Ball Drops for the First Time (1908)In 1904, The New York Times moved its headquarters to what is now known as Times Square. That December, it held a New Year's Eve celebration that proved to be quite popular. A few years later, the newspaper created an illuminated time ball—then a well-known dockside device by which sailors set their ships' clocks—that would fall at midnight. The annual ball-drop outlived both the newspaper's address on the square and the use of time balls in general. What was Times Square's original name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jerome David "J. D." Salinger (1919)Salinger published his first and only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, in 1951. An immediate success, it generated a cult-like dedication among readers. Though he also released a handful of short story collections, Salinger ceased publishing after 1963 and spent the rest of his life as a recluse in Cornish, New Hampshire. After his death in 2010, rumors swirled that he had left behind a number of finished works. According to one of Salinger's neighbors, how many novels did he complete? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Misery is manifold...as the rainbow; its hues are as various as the hues of that arch.Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bom Jesus dos Navegantes (2017)In Salvador, Brazil, the festival known as Bom Jesus dos Navegantes is celebrated on New Year's Day. A procession of small boats decorated with flags and streamers carries a statue of the Lord Jesus of Seafarers from the main harbor to the outlying beach of Boa Viagem. Thousands of spectators line Salvador's beaches to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. According to legend, sailors participating in the event will never die by drowning. A similar procession takes place on the same day in Angra dos Reis, 90 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. More... | |