Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 13, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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adulterate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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SemicolonsSemicolons ( ; ) are used for two main purposes: to separate lengthy or complex items within a list and to connect independent clauses. What type of conjunction is almost always paired with a semicolon? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Cyanide PoisoningThere are numerous cyanide compounds, and, whether inhaled or ingested, most are deadly. Some occur naturally in almonds and in fruit seeds and pits. Cyanide deprives body tissues of oxygen, and symptoms of poisoning include bitter almond-scented breath, dizziness, convulsions, and collapse. Though antidotes exist, cyanide can kill within minutes, making it a historically notable murder weapon. What might explain why Rasputin survived after eating cyanide-laced cakes and wine? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Live Aid (1985)Live Aid was a multi-venue rock concert held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia that raised about $280 million for famine relief in Africa. The event was organized by musician Bob Geldof, who founded the supergroup Band Aid in 1984 to raise money for the same cause. About 170,000 attended the Live Aid shows, and more than 1.5 billion viewers around the world watched them on TV. Performers included David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Queen, as well as what groups that reunited for the event? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608)When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III ascended the throne, the Thirty Years' War had been raging for 20 years. After his accession, the war took a disastrous turn. Though he prohibited religious freedom in his own domains, he compromised with Europe's Protestant powers and agreed to the Peace of Westphalia. The treaty ended 30 years of religious strife in central Europe but greatly reduced the central power of the Holy Roman Empire. Despite the war, Ferdinand made time to pursue what pastime? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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look out for number one— To put one's own needs, concerns, or responsibilities before those of anyone else. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Tribute of the Three Cows (2021)This event takes place on the Pierre St. Martin, in the Pyrenées Mountains between Spain and France, on July 13 every year. Representatives of the French valley of Barétous and those of the Spanish valley of Roncal meet at the summit at 10 o'clock in the morning and pile their hands on top of each other's in a show of friendship. Then the French hand over three cows, which must be healthy two-year-olds. This tribute was imposed by treaty in 1375, when the two valleys were at war with each other, and the Roncal cowmen emerged as the victors. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: whirlturbine - Came from Latin turbo, "whirl, whirling thing." More... twirl - May be a blend of twist and whirl. More... warble - Has the underlying notion of "whirling around"; for sounds, it took on the meaning "whirl of notes; trill." More... whorl - A variant of whirl, it first meant "small flywheel." More... | |