Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, October 3, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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mantel
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Cursus HonorumA Latin phrase meaning "course of honors," the cursus honorum was the sequential order of public offices held by politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Empire. The cursus honorum forbade repeating an office, and it set a minimum age for election to each post and minimum intervals between holding successive offices. However, these rules were often ignored toward the end of the Republic. At what age could candidates be elected to their first official post? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George Washington Creates Thanksgiving Day (1789)Though the feast held in 1621 may be better remembered, the first official national Thanksgiving in the US was declared in 1789. On that day, Washington, the president at the time, offered thanks for "the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty" following the revolution. Thanksgiving feasts were declared sporadically until 1863, when President Lincoln established it as a lasting holiday. Traditionally, the president pardons a live turkey each year. Why have recent presidents pardoned two? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alain-Fournier (1886)Henri-Alban Fournier, who published as Alain-Fournier, was a French novelist known for his single full-length work, Le Grand Meaulnes. The poetic novel about a youthful search for the ideal was published in 1913 and is now considered a classic of French literature. Set in an imaginary locale, it is a blend of the author's own childhood and his mystical ideas. Though he began work on a second novel in 1914, he was killed in action in WWI that year. When was his body finally identified? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Patriotism is like charity—it begins at home.Henry James (1843-1916) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Olney White Squirrel Count (2020)The community of Olney, Illinois, boasts a population of rare white squirrels. It is believed that the animals first appeared in the area just after the American Civil War. For many years, Olney has been concerned with preserving the squirrels. Every year an official count is done to determine how the white squirrel population is surviving. Professors from nearby Central College, with the help of volunteers, try to gauge whether the number of animals is increasing or decreasing and whether any migration is taking place. More... | |