Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, July 9, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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stalwart
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Voynich ManuscriptThe Voynich manuscript, which likely dates to the late 15th or early 16th century, is a mysterious illustrated book written by an unknown author in an unidentified script and language. Although its meaning has eluded even expert cryptographers, giving weight to the theory that the book is simply an elaborate hoax, the text follows patterns similar to those of natural languages, and the book thus remains the subject of intense study. What are some theories about its origins and meaning? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 US President Zachary Taylor Dies in Office (1850)On a hot 4th of July in Washington, DC, Taylor—who had been US president for just 16 months—enjoyed a cool snack of cherries and milk. Five days later, he was dead. The official cause of death was listed as gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines that can be caused by food poisoning. His remains were exhumed in 1991 and showed no evidence of foul play. According to one historian, Taylor could have recovered had he not been bled, blistered, and given what cocktail of drugs? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Oliver Wolf Sacks (1933)Sacks is a British-American neurologist and writer. He immigrated to the US in 1960 to study neurology at the University of California, and in 1965 he joined the faculty at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Many of his books relate case histories of neurologically damaged people, particularly those afflicted with unusual conditions. His 1973 book Awakenings, which was made into a film in 1990, chronicles his efforts to treat the survivors of what mysterious sickness? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Enough is equal to a feast.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Choctaw Indian Fair (2020)This is a four-day annual gathering of the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indians. Held since 1949 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, it features—besides dances, crafts exhibits, and pageantry—the Choctaw Stickball World Series. Choctaw stickball, the forerunner of lacrosse, is played with long-handled sticks with pouches at the ends for carrying and pitching a leather ball. It is called the "granddaddy of games" and is thought to be the oldest field sport in America. More than 20,000 visitors usually attend the fair. More... | |