Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 28, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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forswear
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| Article of the Day | |
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 DEETDEET is the abbreviation of N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, a chemical compound commonly used as an insect repellent. DEET was developed by the US Army following its experience with jungle warfare during World War II and entered civilian use in 1957. Intended to be applied to skin or clothing to protect against tick and mosquito bites, it is believed to work by blocking the receptors insects use to locate hosts. What potential detrimental health effects have been linked to its use? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Lego Patents Its Interlocking Plastic Bricks (1958)The founder of Lego, a Danish carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen, began making wooden toys in 1932. By the late 1940s, he had begun making plastic ones, including "automatic binding bricks," which he patented in 1958. Today, Lego produces roughly 20 billion of those bricks annually, and today's pieces are still compatible with the originals. By producing some 306 million miniature, functioning replicas of this item each year, Lego could be considered the world's leading manufacturer of what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Colette (1873)In her highly eventful life, French novelist Colette freely flouted convention and repeatedly scandalized the public, but by her later years, she had become a national icon. Her numerous novels are marked by sensitive observations—particularly of women—and an intimate style. Among her works are The Vagabond, a fictionalized account of her time as a music-hall performer, and Gigi, a comedy about a girl reared to be courtesan. In 1907, she nearly caused a riot by doing what on stage? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Charlemagne's Day (2021)Charlemagne wasn't actually a saint at all; he was an emperor and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, crowned in 800 by Pope Leo III. Although he was never able to read and write himself, Charlemagne, whose name means "Charles the Great," founded the University of Paris. In fact, his reign was marked by a huge cultural revival, including significant advances in scholarship, literature, and philosophy. He died on January 28, 814. More... | |