Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, November 18, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dumbstruck
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Persian Royal RoadThe Persian Royal Road was an ancient highway built by King Darius I in the 5th Century BCE to facilitate communication throughout his empire. The route, reconstructed using archeological research and historical records, passed through present day Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The Greek historian Herodotus' praise for the speed of the Persian couriers, who were said to be able to travel the road's 1,677 miles (2,699 kilometers) in seven days, is popularly associated with what US public service? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Day of Two Noons: US and Canada Adopt Standard Time Zones (1883)Before the adoption of time zones, clocks in the US and Canada were set according to the position of the sun overhead, meaning that time varied according to location. For the rail industry, this presented a logistical nightmare, and so many railroads kept their own time, further complicating matters. Standardization solved everything. On "The Day of Two Noons," train stations reset their clocks according to newly adopted time standards. Which US city continued to keep local time until the 1900s? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Asa Gray (1810)Considered one of the most important botanists in American history, Gray laid the foundation for the study of plants in North America. He made botanical expeditions to the western US, established Harvard University's botany department, and wrote prodigiously on the subject of plants, producing several classic, still-valued textbooks. Charles Darwin was such an admirer of Gray's work that he shared his theory of natural selection with Gray before publishing it. What toxin was named for Gray? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.Henry James (1843-1916) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Latvia Independence Day (2020)Independence Day marks Latvia's declaration of independence from German and Russian occupation on November 18, 1918. The country remained independent until World War II, when it was absorbed by the Soviet Union. Like the other Baltic republics, Latvia proclaimed its independence from Soviet Russia in 1991, on August 21. More... | |