Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 27, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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factious
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Memento MoriIn an iconic scene from Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the titular prince contemplates the skull of the former court jester Yorick, juxtaposing his jocular existence and his death. The skull is an example of a memento mori—an object intended to remind people of the inevitability of death. Derived from a Latin phrase meaning "be mindful of dying," the term has a tradition in art that dates back to antiquity. What famous paintings feature a memento mori? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Radio City Music Hall Opens in New York City (1932)Developed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the Radio Corporation of America, and the creator of the Roxy Theatre, New York's landmark Radio City Music Hall opened with a lavish variety show that was not well received. Instead, the world's largest indoor theater began showing movies with accompanying stage spectacles. Recently, it has focused on concerts and live events such as the Grammy Awards. Its annual Christmas show remains a popular tourist attraction. What was the first film shown there? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Louis Pasteur (1822)Perhaps best remembered for developing the pasteurization process, Pasteur was a French microbiologist who made great strides in keeping people safe by revolutionizing contemporary thinking about diseases. He proved that food spoilage was due to exposure to microorganisms, leading to the use of heat pasteurization to kill bacteria. He developed vaccines against anthrax, cholera, and rabies, and his work on silkworm diseases saved the French silk industry. What was "Pasteur's Deception"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dian Fossey Day (2020)American conservationist Dian Fossey (1932-1985) conducted groundbreaking research on Rwanda's mountain gorillas, a species long victimized by wide-scale poaching, and helped ensure their preservation. Fossey was murdered in her cabin at a research center in the Virunga Mountains on December 27, 1985. Ceremonies for the anniversary of her death take place in Volcanoes National Park, which contains a permanent memorial to the zoologist. Individuals typically perform traditional dances, while government officials deliver speeches and lay wreaths on her grave site. More... | |