Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, June 16, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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earsplitting
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| Article of the Day | |
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 OuzoOuzo is a clear, anise-flavored liqueur made exclusively in Greece. While some say that its name derives from the Turkish word üzüm—meaning grape—a popular anecdote claims that it actually comes from the Italian phrase uso Massalia, meaning "for use in Marseilles." According to the story, the phrase became synonymous with "superior quality" after being stamped on crates of silkworm cocoons exported in the 19th century. Why does ouzo turn white when mixed with water or ice? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Abraham Lincoln Delivers His "House Divided" Speech (1858)In 1858, Lincoln was nominated to challenge incumbent Illinois senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. At the state Republican convention, he accepted the nomination with a now-famous speech explaining his view that the US could not exist with both slave and free states—as "a house divided against itself cannot stand." He lost the race but won the presidency two years later. When and by whom had the same biblical reference previously been used to describe the national rift over slavery? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joyce Carol Oates (1938)Oates is an American author of over 50 novels and numerous volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. She has won the National Book Award and the O. Henry Award and has been thrice nominated for a Pulitzer. She writes about modern American life and the connection between violence and love. Her characters are mainly ordinary, inarticulate people to whom terrible things happen. Her most famous short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is based on what real-life serial killer? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan (2020)Guru Arjan (1563-1606) was the fifth of the Sikh gurus and the first to be martyred. He was known for compiling the Adi Granth, the "First Collection" of Sikh scripture. People commemorate Guru Arjan's martyrdom by visiting gurdwaras, places of worship, for special services. In India, where the weather is exceptionally hot at this time of year, it is traditional for Sikhs to make drinks available to every passerby—a reminder that part of Guru Arjan's torture before his death was being deprived of water. More... | |