Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 16, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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contravene
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Emirate of SicilyAfter the fall of Rome, the island of Sicily passed from the Vandals to the Goths in 493 CE and then to the Byzantines in 535 CE. After two centuries of raiding, the Arabs conquered the island when Euphemius, the commander of the Byzantine fleet, defected. The Emirate of Sicily remained under Islamic rule from 965 to 1060 CE, during which time agriculture, commerce, and arts and sciences were promoted. Who led the Norman conquest of Sicily that ultimately displaced the Arabs? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Prohibition Era Begins in the US (1920)By January of 1919, members of the US temperance movement had been campaigning against excessive drinking for a century. Their efforts resulted in the 18th Amendment, which, when it went into effect in 1920, prohibited the sale—but not the consumption—of liquor. Prohibition spawned what John D. Rockefeller called "a vast army of lawbreakers" who profited from the illegal sale of alcohol, and the failed ban was repealed in 1933. What was delivered to the White House immediately after the repeal? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Dian Fossey (1932)Fossey was an occupational therapist when, on a trip to Africa in 1963, she met famed anthropologist Louis Leakey, who encouraged her to pursue her dream of studying gorillas. In 1966, she began living a solitary life in the mountains of central Africa, gradually gaining the acceptance of the gorillas she observed and building a vast body of knowledge about their habits, communication, and social structure. In 1985, she was found hacked to death in her Rwandan forest camp. Who murdered her? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is not that the Englishman can't feel—it is that he is afraid to feel. He has been taught at his public school that feeling is bad form. He must not express great joy or sorrow, or even open his mouth too wide when he talks—his pipe might fall out if he did.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Harbin Ice and Snow Festival (2021)This extravaganza of ice sculptures takes place from January 5 to February 4 in the port city of Harbin, the second largest city of northeast China, located in Heilongjiang Province. The sculptures, using themes of ancient legends and stories and modern historic events, depict pavilions, temples, and mythic animals and persons. Located in Zhaolin Park, they shimmer in the sun by day, and at night are illuminated in a rainbow of colors. Theatrical events, art exhibitions, and a photo exhibition mark festival time, and wedding ceremonies are often scheduled at this time in the ice-filled park. More... | |