Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 26, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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disjunct
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Auxiliary Verbs - MayThe modal verb "may" is used to ask, grant, or describe permission, and to politely offer to do something for someone, among other things. Why is "can't" more commonly used in questions than "may not"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Principality of SealandThe Principality of Sealand is a purported micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II sea fort located in the North Sea six miles (10 km) off the coast of Suffolk, England. Since 1967, the installation has been occupied by the associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former British Army Major and pirate radio broadcaster who claims it is a sovereign and independent state. What court rulings have involved Sealand and its status as a sovereign nation? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Short Creek Raid (1953)Before dawn on July 26, 1953, more than 100 Arizona state police officers and National Guard soldiers entered Short Creek, home to about 400 Mormon fundamentalists, many of whom illegally practiced polygamy. Almost the whole community was arrested, and 263 children were seized from their parents. Arizona's governor described it as a "police action against insurrection," but the raid drew widespread criticism. Community members knew the raid was coming. What were they doing when officers arrived? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jane "Jinny" Bunford (1895)Standing well over seven and a half feet tall, Bunford was twice recognized during her lifetime as the tallest person in the world. She is also believed to have had the longest hair, at 8 ft 1 in (2.5 m) long. Though she died in 1922, she was featured in the 1971 Guinness Book of World Records after her skeleton was discovered on display at Birmingham University. Bunford's height likely resulted from her pituitary gland secreting excessive growth hormones after what childhood accident? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Positiveness is a good quality for preachers and orators, because he that would obtrude his thoughts and reasons upon a multitude, will convince others the more as he appears convinced himself.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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(the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise— rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festivities for the Day of National Rebellion (2021)This three-day national holiday in Cuba commemorates an attack that took place on July 26, 1953, when rebel forces led by Fidel Castro struck the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba. It is remembered as the beginning of the rebellion that ousted the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. The holiday is an occasion for displays of national pride and mass rallies. Crowds of 100,000 are common in Havana, where a carnival, live music, singing, dancing and flag waving mark the occasion. Santiago de Cuba also has a large carnival, and other cities host celebrations as well. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: possessionhave - Coming through Proto-Germanic khaben, it was from Indo-European kap-, meaning "possession." More... jouisance - Also spelled jouissance, it is another word for "enjoyment" or "possession or use of something." More... tenement - First meant "holding as a possession." More... white elephant - The name of this animal, which has an enormous appetite, has come to mean "useless, expensive possession"—or a possession that is more trouble than it is worth. More... | |