Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 22, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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shipshape
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular InflectionRegular inflection is governed by consistent, predictable rules. Irregular inflection doesn’t seem to follow any rules or conventions at all. What are some examples of irregular inflection? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Bengal Famine of 1943The Bengal Famine took place in the midst of WWII in British-occupied Bengal, now Bangladesh, and parts of eastern India. What distinguished the year of 1943 was not that rice production fell dramatically, but rather that food prices soared while wages stagnated. It has been called a "man-made famine" because, according to some, the occupying British both exacerbated it with their actions and failed to provide relief. How many people are estimated to have died from starvation due to the famine? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Nuclear Submarine USS Scorpion Sinks, Cause Unknown (1968)On May 21, 1968, the crew of the US Navy's Scorpion submarine engaged in communications with land stations. Six days later, the submarine was reported overdue. After an unsuccessful search, the Scorpion and its crew were "presumed lost." However, in October, a Navy research ship located sections of the submarine's hull in approximately 10,000 feet (3,048 m) of water about 400 miles (644 km) southwest of the Azores. What are some theories about how the Scorpion may have sunk? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mary Cassatt (1844)Cassatt was an American figure painter and etcher. As a young art student, she moved to Paris, where she was inspired by the work of Edgar Degas, with whom she developed a friendship. She allied herself with the Impressionists early in her career, but, in the late 1880s, she began experimenting with other styles and techniques. Many of Cassatt's best-known works are intimate depictions of mothers and children. What cause did she take up when cataracts put a stop to her painting career? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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kick (someone or something) to the curb— To discard, abandon, or dismiss someone or something that has become redundant, obsolete, useless, or unwanted. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Maritime Day (2021)It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who first proclaimed May 22 as National Maritime Day in 1933. Since that time, observations of this day have grown in popularity, particularly in American port cities. Ships are opened to the public, maritime art and essay contests are held, and parades and band concerts are common. Environmentalists sometimes take advantage of the attention focused on the country's maritime heritage on this day to draw attention to pollution and deterioration of maritime environments, particularly in large commercial ports like New York City. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: madgale - A very strong wind, probably related to Old Norse galinn, "frantic, mad." More... mad as a hatter - Refers to the fact that hat makers suffered mental illness in the old days when they got mercury poisoning from treating fur. More... madding - In "far from the madding crowd," madding is a poetic survival meaning "wild, furious, raving, mad." More... rabid, rabies - Rabid and rabies come from Latin rabere, "be mad." More... | |