Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 17, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unornamented
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Primary InterjectionsPrimary interjections are interjections that are single words derived not from any other word class, but from sounds. Nonetheless, primary interjections do have widely recognized meanings. What are some common examples? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Great Smog of 1952Early in December 1952, a cold fog caused Londoners to burn more coal than usual. When the resulting pollution was trapped by the dense mass of cold air, concentrations of pollutants built up dramatically. By the time it lifted, the smog had caused or advanced the deaths of thousands of people—most of whom were very young or elderly or had pre-existing respiratory problems—leading to a new focus on the dangers of air pollution. Even indoor events were cancelled during the Great Smog; why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Kingdom of Italy Is Proclaimed (1861)Modern Italy became unified under the house of Savoy on March 17, 1861, largely through the efforts of Cavour, Garibaldi, and Victor Emmanuel II, who became king of Italy that same year. However, the protectorate of Napoleon III over the Papal States delayed the Italian annexation of Rome until 1870, and relations between the Italian government and the papacy, which refused to concede the loss of its temporal power, remained a major problem until 1929, when the Lateran Treaty did what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mia Hamm (1972)One of the best female soccer players of her generation, Hamm is often credited with popularizing women's soccer in the US. A tireless forward, Hamm won four NCAA titles and, at 15, became the youngest person to play for the US national team, which won two Women's World Cups and two Olympic gold medals while she was a member. When she retired in 2004, she held the international record for scoring—for both women and men—until it was broken in 2013. "Mia" is a nickname. What is her real name? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Assistance given to the weak makes the one who gives it strong.Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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romp home— To deftly or easily win a race, contest, or competition. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Patrick's Day Parade (Savannah, Georgia) (2022)This parade is one of the oldest and biggest parades in the US, held since 1824 in Savannah, Georgia, a city with a long Irish history. The first public procession was recorded in 1824, and public parades have been held ever since. Today, the parade, which follows a route through the city's historic district, comprises between 200 and 300 separate units, including family groups, commercial floats, high school bands, and military bands and marching units. The day begins with Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stoppagearmistice - Comes from Latin armistitium—from arma, "arms," and -stitium, "stoppage"—and means a temporary cessation from fighting or the use of arms, or a short truce. More... solstice - Derived from Latin sol, "Sun," and stitium, as the Sun appears to stand still on the first day of winter. More... epoch - Pronounced EH-puhk, it is from Greek epokhe, "fixed point in time, stoppage," and it was first the initial point in a chronology from which succeeding years were numbered. More... stasis - A period of inactivity or equilibrium, from Greek histanai, "stoppage." More... | |