Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, February 1, 2021)Word of the Day | |||||||
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knavery
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Article of the Day | |
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![]() AuroraNamed for the Roman goddess of dawn, the aurora borealis and aurora australis—also known as the northern and southern lights, respectively—are held among the most magnificent natural phenomena. The luminous nighttime displays of colorful bands that ripple across the sky are most often seen along the edges of the Arctic and Antarctic. They are caused by charged particles from the Sun that become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field and collide with air molecules. Do other planets have auroras? More... |
This Day in History | |
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![]() Janet Jackson's Wardrobe Malfunctions (2004)Nearly 90 million people watched Super Bowl XXXVIII, and approximately 540,000 of them filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission after Justin Timberlake exposed fellow singer Janet Jackson's breast during the game's halftime show. The incident led to legal action, heavy fines, and a crackdown on aspects of US broadcasting considered indecent. Shortly after the "wardrobe malfunction," a streaker darted onto the field in an unrelated stunt. What happened to him? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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![]() Johannes Trithemius (1462)In 1482, 20-year-old scholar Johannes Trithemius was traveling home from university when a snowstorm forced him to take refuge in the Benedictine abbey at Sponheim, Germany. He decided to stay and was soon elected abbot, whereupon he began transforming the abbey into a place of serious study. Allegations of occultism in his writings led to his resignation, but some of those volumes that were once assumed to be about magic have since been deciphered and are now known to deal with what subject? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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![]() Charles Darwin (1809-1882) |
Today's Holiday | |
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![]() St. Bridget's Day (2021)St. Bridget (or Brigid, or Bride) is the female patron saint of Ireland. Her feast day, February 1, was traditionally the first day of spring in rural Ireland because it marked the start of the agricultural season. It was customary on the eve of the saint's day for the oldest daughter of the family to bring a bundle of rushes to the door. Playing the role of St. Bridget, she would distribute the rushes among the family members, who would make crosses from them and, after the crosses were sprinkled with holy water, hang them throughout the house. More... |