Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 17, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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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 Richard Riot (1955)Maurice Richard was a star ice-hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens and a hero of the French-Canadian population. After he was involved in a violent confrontation during a game with the Boston Bruins, Richard was suspended for the rest of the season as well as the playoffs. Many fans in Montreal believed the penalty to be overly severe and motivated by prejudice against French-Canadians. At a game just days later, the fans rioted. Who did the mayor of Montreal blame for inciting the riot? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Gottlieb Daimler (1834)The mechanical experiments of German engineer, inventor, and pioneer automobile manufacturer Gottlieb Daimler aroused so much suspicion that, at one point, the police raided his workshop in Stuttgart, Germany, expecting to find a counterfeiting operation. They found only engines, as Daimler had been working on improvements to the internal combustion engine that would play a major role in the development of the automobile industry. He sold his first automobile in 1892. What was his famous motto? 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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l'esprit de l'escalier— A French phrase meaning "the wit of the staircase"; a perfect witty remark, retort, or rejoinder that occurs to one after the fact or too late to be used. (Also written as "l'esprit d'escalier.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Camp Fire Founders' Day (2021)The organization originally known as the Camp Fire Girls was founded on March 17, 1910, around the same time that the Boy Scout movement was getting its start in Great Britain. Now it is coeducational and is known as Camp Fire. The organization stresses self-reliance, and membership is divided into five age levels, from Sparks (pre-school) to Horizon (grades 9-12). Interaction with adults is also emphasized as a way of learning about career choices, hobbies, and other interests. Camp Fire's founding is observed by members as part of Camp Fire Boys and Girls Birthday Week. 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... | |