Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, June 22, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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freebooter
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Question MarksQuestion marks ( ? ) are used to identify sentences that ask a question (technically known as interrogative sentences). What are indirect questions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Centennial LightThe Centennial Light is the world's longest-lasting light bulb. Housed at the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department in Livermore, California, the bulb was donated to the department in 1901. The longevity of the four-watt, carbon-filament, hand-blown bulb has been recognized by several sources, including Guinness World Records. It has reportedly only been turned off a handful of times, and it has been on continuously since it was switched off for 22 minutes in 1976 for what reason? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Hammond Circus Train Wreck (1918)On the morning of June 22, 1918, a locomotive pulling empty passenger cars rear-ended the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train near Hammond, Indiana. The wreck and subsequent fire—likely ignited by the oil lamps in the circus train's wooden sleeping cars—resulted in 86 deaths and 127 injuries. Most of the dead were buried five days later in a nearby cemetery, their graves marked with nicknames like "Baldy" and "Smiley" since many bodies could not be formally identified. What caused the collision? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Erich Maria Remarque (1898)Drafted into the German army at age 18, Remarque served in World War I and was wounded several times. From his experience of trench warfare, he drew a grimly realistic picture of the horror of battle in his first novel and masterpiece, All Quiet on the Western Front. It was an immediate international success, and Remarque went on to write several other novels. All Quiet on the Western Front was later burned by the Nazis, who guillotined which of his family members in 1943? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Very simple was my explanation, and plausible enough—as most wrong theories are!H.G. Wells (1866-1946) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a living legend— A person who has an extraordinary reputation or level of fame while he or she is still alive. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Croatia Anti-Fascist Resistance Day (2021)This holiday in Croatia, also called Anti-Fascism Day, dates back to the Second World War. After Nazi Germany invaded and conquered Yugoslavia in 1941, Croatia became a German puppet state under a government of Croatian fascists, called the Ustaše. One of the resistance groups that sprang up to oppose the fascist government was the Partisans, headed by half-Croatian Communist leader Josip Broz Tito. Anti-Fascist Resistance Day is a national holiday in Croatia. Like most warm-weather holidays in the country, it is celebrated with outdoor barbeques and fireworks. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: offerbid - Derives from Old English beodan, "to offer or command." More... carrot-and-stick - Refers to an offer of reward countered by the threat of punishment. More... blind fold - Worn by the Greek statue for justice so she cannot see the bribes being offered to her, hence, blind justice. More... cast pearls before swine - To offer something valuable to someone who does not appreciate it. More... | |