Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 27, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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palliate
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Reduviidae, AKA Assassin BugsThousands of species of the aptly named assassin bug crawl the Earth. Most prey on other insects, using a segmented beak to suck out victims' body fluids, and some species even kill bedbugs and roaches. Still, not all are beneficial. There are species that drink blood and prey on vertebrates, and one is even known to bite the eyes of sleeping humans. Another defends itself by spitting toxic saliva that causes blindness. Some produce pain-inducing venom, and others carry what often-fatal disease? 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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 I believe that Virtue shows quite as well in rags and patches as she does in purple and fine linen.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| 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... | |