Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 26, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sidestep
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Emphasizing Duration with the Present Perfect ContinuousThe present perfect continuous is especially useful for putting emphasis on the length of time that has passed while something is happening. What is the present perfect continuous verb in the following sentence? "They have been studying for three weeks for this exam." More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Alchemy in the Islamic WorldIn the 8th century, alchemy, a pseudoscience focused on transforming base metals into gold, reached the Islamic world. Over the next several centuries, Muslim alchemists revolutionized the field, introducing scientific method into alchemical research and developing apparatuses like the alembic, still, and retort, which are still in use in laboratories today, and chemical processes such as pure distillation and filtration. Which Arab alchemist has been called "the father of chemistry"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Australia Day: Britain's First Fleet Arrives (1788)On January 26, 1788, the first British fleet in modern-day Australia claimed it in the name of King George III. Captain Arthur Phillip and his band of British convicts settled in Port Jackson—where the city of Sydney was later established—and built a penal colony there to help relieve overcrowding in the British prisons. First officially celebrated in 1818, Australia Day—formerly known as Foundation Day or Anniversary Day—has been a public holiday since 1838. What was the British fleet called? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman (1892)Coleman was an American civil aviator who became the first female pilot of African-American descent and the first person of African-American descent to hold an international pilot license. After attaining her license in France, Coleman continued to train extensively and earned a living as a stunt pilot in air shows, earning the nickname "Queen Bess." She died in an aviation accident in 1926, but her legacy inspired countless aviators. What led to the accident that resulted in Coleman's death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the other side— Existence after death; the world of the afterlife. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Australia Day (2022)The anniversary of the first British settlement in Australia on January 26, 1788, was formerly known as Foundation Day or Anniversary Day. Captain Arthur Phillip and his company of British convicts arrived first at Botany Bay, and when that proved to be unsuitable, they moved on to Port Jackson, where the city of Sydney was eventually established. First officially celebrated in 1818, Australia Day has been a public holiday since 1838. It used to be observed on either January 26 or the nearest Monday, but, since 1994, it has been observed on January 26 with celebrations all over the country. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pancakeblin - As in blini and blintze, it is Russian for "pancake." More... blintz, blintze - Blintz(e) is from Russian blinets, "little pancake." More... cake - A Viking contribution, from Old Norse kaka, it is related to "cook"; cake first meant small, flat bread roll baked on both sides by being turned—as in pancake or potato cake. More... omelet, omelette - Omelet has also been written omelette, amulet, and aumelet; omelet's root sense is "thin layer" or "crepe," and it was first described in English as a "pancake of eggs." More... | |