Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, July 21, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
egotism
| |||||||
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Maximilian KolbeKolbe was a Polish priest who in 1941 was starved and killed by the Nazis in Auschwitz after volunteering to take the place of a condemned stranger. Ordained in 1918, he founded the City of Mary Immaculate religious center and was the director of Poland's chief Catholic publishing complex. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1939 and again in 1941 on charges of aiding Jews and the Polish underground. He was canonized in 1982 and declared a martyr of charity. Who was the man whose life Kolbe saved? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Lowest Temperature in History Recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica (1983)Located near the magnetic South Pole, Russia's Vostok Research Station in Antarctica experiences three straight months of polar night every year from April to August, a period during which the Sun does not rise. In 1983, in the dead of southern winter and polar night, Vostok experienced the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth, a chilling -128.56 degrees F (-89.2 degrees C). December 1989 was the warmest month ever recorded at Vostok. On average, how warm was it? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Isaac Stern (1920)Born in Ukraine, Stern came to the US as an infant and began studying violin as a child. He made his New York debut at 17 and toured extensively after World War II. A cultural ambassador, he performed in the Soviet Union and China as one of the world's top violin virtuosos. In 1960, he formed a famous trio with pianist Eugene Istomin and cellist Leonard Rose. Stern helped establish the National Endowment for the Arts and is noted for having saved what landmark institution from demolition? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Just for Laughs Festival (2020)Every July, Montreal hosts one of the largest comedy festivals in the world, the Just For Laughs Festival. Founded in 1983 as a small French-language show (Juste pour rire) comprised of only two nights, in 1985, the organizers opened the stage to English-speaking comedians, paving the way for newcomers like Tonight Show host Jay Leno and sitcom star Jerry Seinfeld to launch their careers. In subsequent years, the organizers extended the festival—today there are more than 1,300 shows and performances, featuring all kinds of comedy as well as juggling and performance art. More... | |