Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 31, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sufferable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ArticlesArticles identify whether a noun is definite (specific or particular) or indefinite (general or unspecific). What are the three articles? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Brazen BullThe brazen bull is a torture and execution device designed in ancient Greece by Perillos, a brass-founder, for Phalaris, the cruel tyrant of Agrigentum, Sicily, who ruled from about 570 to 554 BCE. Perillos cast a hollow brass bull that had a door on its side, allowing the condemned to be placed inside it. A fire lit beneath the bull would roast the victim alive. The device was designed so that the victim’s screams would sound like the bellowing of a bull. Who, ironically, was its first victim? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Ancash Earthquake (1970)The 1970 Ancash earthquake was a severe undersea earthquake that affected the Peruvian region of Ancash, killing at least 50,000 people. Combined with a subsequent landslide, it was the most catastrophic natural disaster ever recorded in the history of Peru. The quake destabilized part of Mount Huascarán, an extinct volcano and Peru's highest mountain, triggering a rock and snow avalanche that buried the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca. What was the magnitude of the earthquake? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Walt Whitman (1819)Whitman was an innovative American poet whose works dealt overtly with topics like sexuality while celebrating the collective experience of an idealized, democratic American life. In 1855, he published at his own expense Leaves of Grass, a volume of 12 poems. It was a commercial failure but became one of the most influential volumes of poetry in the history of American literature. Whitman's much-recited poem "O Captain! My Captain!" was written as a tribute to what US president? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which stands related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lipstick on a pig— Some superficial or cosmetic change to something so that it seems more attractive, appealing, or successful than it really is. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival (2022)Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley is widely known for its apple orchards, which begin to flower in late May or early June. The area's Apple Blossom Festival is a five-day celebration whose events are held throughout the 60 towns and villages of the Annapolis Valley. In addition to a children's parade, sporting events, tours to view the apple blossoms, apple pie baking and eating contests, and a cooking competition, the festival includes the crowning of "Queen Annapolisa," who is chosen from among 18 local princesses. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: smilesmilet - A little smile. More... mandarin crease, risorius of Santorini - Below each side of the mouth is the mandarin crease; the muscle that pulls the corners up to smile is the risorius of Santorini. More... miracle - From Latin miraculum, "object of wonder"; its ultimate root meant "to smile upon." More... gelasin - The dimples that appear when you smile are gelasins. More... | |