Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, June 6, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cataplasm
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Lotus EatersIn Greek mythology, the Lotophagi, or lotus-eaters, were a race of people from an island near North Africa. Lotus fruits and flowers were the dominant plant life on the island and the primary source of food for its inhabitants, a peaceful, apathetic people calmed by the plant's narcotic effects. The Lotophagi have long been a popular literary referent, appearing in such works as Homer's epic the Odyssey, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lotus-Eaters," and what landmark modernist novel? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Robert Kennedy Dies from Gunshot Wounds (1968)Five years after US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, his younger brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, was shot and killed by a man named Sirhan Sirhan. The shooting took place on the night that Robert won the California Democratic presidential nomination. His body was taken to Arlington National Cemetery by train, and thousands of people gathered by the tracks to pay tribute. He was buried near his brother. In what way was the ceremony the only one of its kind in Arlington's history? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Trumbull (1756)After serving as an aide to George Washington during the American Revolution, Trumbull went to London to study painting under Benjamin West. He was imprisoned shortly thereafter—in retribution for the hanging of a British agent in the US—and left London upon his release. He returned in 1784 and began a celebrated series of historical paintings, four of which now hang in the US Capitol rotunda. His oft-reproduced Declaration of Independence is featured on what denomination of US currency? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Trying to stop slanderers' tongues is like trying to put gates to the open plain.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Epsom Derby Day (2020)Derby Day is the most prestigious horse race in the world, held annually at the Epsom Racecourse in Surrey, England, on the second day of the summer meeting in early June. Many companies in England give their employees the day off so they can join in the picnicking that takes place near the course. Like the Kentucky Derby, the festivities surrounding the Derby last longer than the race itself, which covers a mile and a half and is over in just a few minutes. Only three-year-old colts and fillies can enter, which means that the race can never be won by the same horse twice. More... | |