Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, June 24, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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bespoke
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Tafl GamesTafl games were a family of popular board games that spread with the Vikings throughout northern Europe from about 400 CE and were widely played until the introduction of chess in the 12th century. Played on a checkered board, the games featured two uneven teams of pieces—a larger one that attacked and a smaller one that defended. The rules of these games, though largely lost, have been pieced together using literary sources from various historical periods. What was the objective of these games? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 (1945)A month and a half after Nazi Germany surrendered to the USSR, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin ordered a celebratory parade through Moscow's Red Square. Thousands of troops from different regiments and fronts participated, accompanied by tanks and other military equipment. At one point, war veterans memorably threw down hundreds of Nazi banners at the foot of Lenin's mausoleum. According to legend, Stalin had initially planned to participate in the parade but changed his mind after what accident? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Saint John of the Cross (1542)Saint John of the Cross was a Spanish mystic, poet, and monastic reformer. A Carmelite monk, he was ordained a priest in 1567. The following year, he joined St. Teresa of Ávila in her effort to restore the Carmelites to their original austerity, cofounding the Discalced Carmelite order. He opened the first Discalced Carmelite monastery in 1569 and was imprisoned in 1577 for causing friction within the order. He escaped and later won high office in the order. What did he write while in prison? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The more highly public life is organized the lower does its morality sink.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Encaenia Day (Oxford) (2020)In general terms, encaenia refers to the festivities celebrating the founding of a city or the dedication of a church. But in Oxford, England, Encaenia Day—sometimes referred to as Commemoration Day—is the day at the end of the summer term when the founders and benefactors of Oxford University are commemorated and honorary degrees are awarded to distinguished men and women. The ceremonies take place in the Sheldonian Theatre, built between 1664-68, which offers an exceptional view from its cupola of Oxford's spires and gargoyles. More... | |