Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 19, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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transience
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular AdverbsRegular adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" (or a variation) onto the end of an adjective. Irregular adverbs are not formed from standard spelling conventions. What are the most common irregular adverbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Colored Rains of KeralaIn July 2001, red-colored rain began falling in the Indian state of Kerala. For the next two months, it returned intermittently. A number of theories explaining the origins of the coloration were proposed, including that it was contamination from a dust cloud, debris from a volcanic eruption, and even extraterrestrial cells. The Indian government initially speculated that the red rain was caused by an exploding meteor but later issued an official report asserting that it had been caused by what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Marilyn Monroe sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" (1962)In 1962, US President John F. Kennedy's birthday was celebrated with a lavish party at Madison Square Garden in New York City. During the event, Monroe took the stage and delivered a sultry version of "Happy Birthday," substituting "Mr. President" for Kennedy's name, a gesture that has served to fuel the persistent rumors that she and Kennedy had engaged in an affair. The performance was one of Monroe's last major public appearances. What did Kennedy say about the song during the party? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Johns Hopkins (1795)Hopkins, a US merchant and financier, worked with an uncle as a wholesale grocer before going into business with his brothers in 1819. As he continued to prosper, his interests diversified into banking, insurance companies, steamship lines, and railroads. In his will, he set aside $7 million—the largest philanthropic bequest in US history at the time—for the founding of a free hospital and university in Baltimore, Maryland. His will also called for the establishment of what other institution? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fast asleep— In a deep, sound sleep. "Fast" in this instance means "secure or fixed firmly in place," rather than "moving quickly." More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pied Piper Open Air Theater (2019)This dramatization of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is presented on an open-air stage in Hamelin (or Hameln), Germany. According to the legend, in 1284 Hamelin was infested with rats. A stranger promised to free the town of vermin if they would pay him. The town agreed, and the piper led the rats to the Weser River where they were drowned. When the citizens refused to pay the piper, he led 130 children out of the town and they disappeared forever. Today, the children of Hamelin are the principal performers in the play, and their number is limited to 130 in keeping with the legend. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: thickfoggy, fog - Foggy first meant "covered with a grass; mossy; boggy," as fog first meant "coarse grass" and evolved to mean "thick, murky" in relation to atmosphere. More... riley - Has two meanings: thick and turbid, or angry and irritable. More... baobab tree - Is so thick—up to 30 feet across—that some African tribes hollow them out so families can live inside. More... | |