Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 29, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sacrilegious
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Star FortsWhen the maneuverable siege cannon came into use in the 15th century, military engineers had to rethink medieval-style fortifications, whose tall, broad walls were highly vulnerable to cannon fire. They developed the star fort, or trace italienne, a flat, tiered structure composed of low, thick walls embedded in ditches, whose complex shape allowed defensive cannons to cover interlocking fields of fire. What technologies eventually rendered the star fort's intricate geometry irrelevant? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The November Uprising Begins (1830)An attempt to overthrow Russian rule in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine, the November Uprising was the result of long-simmering resentments that came to a head when news broke of a Russian plan to use the Polish Army to suppress revolutions in France and Belgium. It began when a group of Warsaw-based Polish Imperial Russian Army cadets took up arms against the Russians and drove the Russian troops from the city. The rebellion soon grew and spread. How long did the fighting continue? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mildred Gillars, AKA Axis Sally (1900)Mildred Sisk was born in Portland, Maine, but went to Europe in the 1920s, changed her name, and by 1934 was an English-language radio broadcaster in Berlin. During World War II, she broadcast Nazi propaganda aimed to demoralize American troops, who nicknamed her "Axis Sally." On the radio, Gillars emphasized the infidelity of soldiers' wives and sweethearts while they were overseas. She was convicted of treason in 1949 and spent 12 years in prison. What did she do after she was released? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Promises and pie-crusts are made to be broken.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 William Tubman's Birthday (Goodwill Day) (2018)The influence of William V. S. Tubman (1895-1971), Liberia's president for 27 continuous years, was so great that his birthday was established as an official holiday while he still held office. The national legislature declared the holiday in response to a citizens' appeal made in 1952. Decades after his death, Liberians still celebrate the national hero's birthday, also known as Goodwill Day. The most elaborate festivities for Tubman's birthday have always taken place in his native city, Harper, where activities may extend for three days. More... | |