Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 13, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dog-tired
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| Article of the Day | |
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 LeishmaniasisSpread by the bite of a bloodsucking sand fly, leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by parasitic protozoans. The cutaneous form of the disease causes deep, disfiguring lesions at the site of the bite, most of which heal spontaneously months later. The visceral form of the disease—also known as kala-azar—affects the internal organs and is usually fatal. Currently, there is no vaccine that can prevent leishmaniasis. What city is considered the cutaneous leishmaniasis capital of the world? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chinese River Dolphin Declared Functionally Extinct (2006)Found only in China's Yangtze River, the baiji was a pale, nearly blind freshwater dolphin species nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze." Though it had lived there for millennia, its population declined precipitously in the late 20th century as an industrialized China made heavy use of the river. Many were injured by fishing gear and boat propellers. The species was finally declared functionally extinct after a six-week search failed to locate any baiji. When was the last baiji caught on film? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ella Baker (1903)Though Baker was not as well known as some of the other leaders of the US civil rights movement, she spent more than 50 years as a behind-the-scenes activist. Baker grew up in rural North Carolina listening to her grandmother's stories about slavery. After college, she moved to New York City and became involved in social justice activism. She worked with student groups, political organizations, and religious coalitions to facilitate collective action. What prompted her to protest against Italy? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To read between the lines was easier than to follow the text.Henry James (1843-1916) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Christkindlesmarkt (2020)Christkindlesmarkt is the biggest and best known of the Christmas markets of Germany. The market in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, has been held since 1697 in the city's Hauptmarkt ("main market"). More than 100 booths are set up to offer only goods directly related to Christmas, and food booths sell Nuremberg's specialties—Lebkuchen, or gingerbread, and Zwetschgenmannlein, which are little people-shaped confections. The three-week festival is inaugurated with choral singing, the pealing of church bells, and illumination of a creche. More... | |