Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 15, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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smorgasbord
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Bomb-Sniffing RatsThe Gambian pouched rat, with its superb sense of smell and tractable personality, has been used recently to locate land mines in its native Africa. Trained from a young age to associate the smell of explosives with a reward, the rodents learn to alert their handlers to the presence of mines. There are several advantages to using rodents rather than dogs in such operations, among them the fact that they are fairly small and thus rarely cause mines to detonate. Why has the US banned their import? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First of Two Istanbul Bombings (2003)In a pair of dual truck bomb attacks carried out days apart in Istanbul, Turkey, terrorists took the lives of over 50 people and injured some 700. The first attack targeted two synagogues during Sabbath services. A truck bomb was detonated at each, killing dozens and injuring hundreds more. Five days later, suicide bombers detonated truck bombs at Istanbul's HSBC Bank headquarters and British consulate. What country handed over to Turkey 22 suspects who reportedly fled there after the attacks? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John I "the Posthumous" of France (1316)For the five days he lived, John I, son of Louis X, was king of France. He thus had the shortest reign of any recognized French king. Because his uncle, Philip V, succeeded him, rumors swirled that Philip had caused John's death. Another story claimed that a dying child had been substituted for John, who was then raised in Siena. In the mid-1300s, a Sienese man named Giannino di Guccio began claiming that he was John I and traveled through Europe seeking recognition. What happened to him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Shichi-Go-San (2018)Shichi-Go-San is an ancient Japanese celebration that marks the special ages of seven, five, and three. It has long been traditional for families to take girls aged seven, boys of five, and all three-year-olds to the neighborhood Shinto shrine. There they are purified, and the priest prays for their healthy growth. Afterwards, there are often parties for the children, and they are given a special pink hard candy, called "thousand-year candy," to symbolize hopes for a long life. Because Nov. 15 is not a legal holiday, families now observe the ceremony on the Sunday nearest that date. More... | |