Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 21, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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solace
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Indefinite PronounsAn indefinite pronoun is used in place of a noun without specifying a particular person or thing that is being represented. Why are many pronouns that refer to more than one—e.g., everything, everyone, much, etc.— considered singular? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Portuguese Bank Note CrisisPerpetrated by Portuguese criminal Alves dos Reis, the Portuguese Bank Note Crisis was one of the largest frauds in history. In 1924, Reis forged a contract that fooled a legitimate print company into printing illegitimate banknotes for him. By the time his scheme was revealed, Reis had introduced into circulation banknotes equivalent to nearly 1% of Portugal's gross domestic product at the time, causing widespread economic and political repercussions. How did he initially cover up his scam? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Khe Sanh Begins (1968)Located near the demilitarized zone that marked the border between North and South Vietnam, Khe Sanh was the site of a protracted battle during the Vietnam War. It involved months of near-constant artillery attacks on the local US Marine base, matched by a bombing barrage of surrounding areas by US planes. The US forces retained the base but gained no advantage, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. Why do some historians believe the North Vietnamese never intended to capture the base? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sophia Jex-Blake (1840)In 1858, Jex-Blake enrolled in college against the wishes of her parents. She struggled to find a medical school that would accept women, and though she persuaded the University of Edinburgh to admit her, she could not graduate. She took her fight to Parliament, which passed a law enabling women to receive medical degrees. Jex-Blake founded two medical schools for women, and, after obtaining her degree in 1877, became the third female doctor in the UK. What became of her Edinburgh home? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nature abhors the old, and old age seems the only disease; all others run into this one.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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on a lark— On a whim or fancy; for fun or as a joke. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia (2021)A cloth painting of the Virgin Mary is the focus of a yearly celebration in the Dominican Republic. It was painted by a Spanish artist and brought to the Dominican Republic in the early 1500s. The portrait, which was crowned by a gold and silver tiara by Pope John Paul II in 1978, is located in a basilica in the city of Higuey, in the province of Altagracia. Every year on January 21, thousands of pilgrims visit the Higuey cathedral to worship. The feast day is a national holiday and is marked by all-night church services, singing, dancing, and festivals. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: productivecost-effective - Anything effective and productive in relation to its cost. More... fecund, fecundation - Fecund is another word for "fertile, fruitful, productive"; fecundation is another word for "fertilization, impregnation." More... originary - An adjective meaning "causing existence; productive," or "primitive; primary; original." More... | |