Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, February 14, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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repugnance
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Zzyzx: English's Last WordZzyzx is a settlement in San Bernardino County, California. The name was given to the area in 1944 by American radio evangelist Curtis Howe Springer, who claimed it was the last word in the English language. He established the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa on the plot, which was actually federal land that he had not received permission to use. In 1974, he was arrested for misusing the land, and the government seized the property. Who oversees the area today? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ayatollah Khomeini Calls for the Execution of Author Salman Rushdie (1989)When British-Indian author Salman Rushdie's fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, was published in 1988, it received much critical acclaim, but it was also the subject of intense controversy within the Muslim community due to its allegedly blasphemous content. Particularly outraged was Iran's political and religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a call for Rushdie's execution. What misunderstanding about the book's title, as translated into Arabic, may have contributed to the crisis? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anna Howard Shaw (1847)Some feminists observe Shaw's birthday in place of Valentine's Day, celebrating her legacy as a leading American suffragist, doctor, and lecturer. During World War I, she coordinated women's activities in the war effort, becoming the first woman to earn the Distinguished Service Medal. After becoming a close confidante of Susan B. Anthony, Shaw worked as one of the most effective speakers of the suffrage movement. She was also a minister who became the first woman to be ordained by what church? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 He would always feel for her that impersonal admiration which is inspired by anything very large, like the Empire State Building or the Grand Canyon of Arizona.P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Vinegrower's Day (2021)This pre-harvest vineyard festival in Bulgaria involves pruning the vines and sprinkling them with wine. Ritual songs and dances are performed in hopes of a plentiful grape harvest. In some areas, a "Vine King" is crowned with a wreath of twigs from the vineyards. Everyone treats him with great respect, for it is believed that fertility depends on the King's happiness. Visits to well-known Bulgarian vineyards are organized, the vines are pruned, and guests are given an opportunity to sample the local wine and foods. More... | |