Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 11, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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campanile
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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AppositivesAn appositive is a noun that serves to describe or rename another noun (or pronoun) that appears directly before it in a sentence. When an appositive is made up of a noun phrase, what is it called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Eye of ProvidenceOften interpreted as the eye of God watching over man, the Eye of Providence depicts an eye enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light. Found on the back of the US one-dollar bill, the Eye was adopted as part of the country's Great Seal in 1782. While the symbol in its modern form emerged in the West in the 17th and 18th centuries, representations of an all-seeing eye existed in ancient Egypt. Conspiracy theorists trace the Eye's inclusion in the Great Seal to its use by what group? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Mikhail Gorbachev Becomes Leader of the Soviet Union (1985)In 1985, after the death of the third Soviet leader in two years, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, ushering in an era of political reform with his policies of glasnost and perestroika. He cultivated warmer relations with the US and others and even supported the democratically elected governments that replaced the communist regimes of eastern Europe. In 1991, he resigned the presidency of the USSR, which ceased to exist the same day. How did his own policies lead to the end of his administration? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Marius Ivanovich Petipa (1822)The principal creator of the modern classical ballet, Petipa was a French-born Russian dancer and choreographer. He received early training from his ballet-master father and was a dancer in France, Belgium, and Spain before joining the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, where he created several ballets and became chief choreographer in 1869. By his retirement in 1903, he had produced more than 60 ballets for the imperial theatres in St. Petersburg and Moscow, including what performances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There lies at the back of every creed something terrible and hard for which the worshiper may one day be required to suffer.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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barrel of laughs— Fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Commonwealth Day (2019)From 1903 until 1957, this holiday in honor of the British Empire was known as Empire Day and celebrated on May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday. Between 1958 and 1966, it was called British Commonwealth Day. Then it was switched to Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday in June, and the name was shortened to Commonwealth Day. It is now observed annually on the second Monday in March. In Canada it is still celebrated on May 24 (or the Monday before) and referred to as Victoria Day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leadercoryphaeus - A Greek word meaning "chief," for the leader of a party, sect, school of thought, etc. More... herald - Etymologically, a "leader of an army," from Germanic kharjaz, "army." More... hegemon - A Greek word for "leader." More... nestorian, nestor - Nestorian means wise and aged, and a nestor is a senior figure or leader in one's field. More... | |