Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 21, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pastille
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Starting Sentences with Subordinating ConjunctionsWhile it's a commonly quoted belief that a sentence should not begin with the word "because," this is not an actual grammatical rule. Sentences can begin with "because" (and any other subordinating conjunction) as long as the sentence is not what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Papyrus of the Nile DeltaPapyrus was an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, a wetland sedge that once flourished in the Nile Delta. Though its earliest use has been traced to Ancient Egypt, it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, inland parts of Europe, and southwest Asia. Making a sheet of papyrus involves a complex process of layering the inner piths of the stems, then hammering, drying, and polishing them. What unlikely article of clothing was made from papyrus? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Demon Core Goes Critical (1945)The Demon Core was a plutonium core—used in nuclear testing at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico—so nicknamed because it resulted in the deaths of two scientists in separate accidents. In 1945, Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto the core, causing it to go "critical," or achieve a chain reaction of nuclear fission. Daghlian stopped the reaction, but died from radiation poisoning a month later. What happened to the second scientist nine months later? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Wilt Chamberlain (1936)One of the greatest offensive players in the history of basketball, "Wilt the Stilt" set many records and led the National Basketball Association in scoring every season from 1959 to 1965. He played in his hometown of Philadelphia with the Warriors and 76ers, and later with California's Los Angeles Lakers. He holds the records for both most points in a single game—100—and most rebounds in a single game—55, which he achieved against his long-time rival Bill Russell. How tall was Chamberlain? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 'Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be hit for six— To be upset or overwhelmed, especially suddenly or unexpectedly. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Our Lady of Sorrows Festival (Romaria da Nossa Senhora da Agonía ) (2020)The pilgrimage to the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, or Nossa Senhora da Agonia, in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, is one of the country's most colorful religious festivals. Sometimes called the Pardon of Our Lady of Sorrows, it includes a procession in which the image of the Virgin Mary is carried over flower-strewn streets. Participants also enjoy fireworks on the River Lima, a parade of carnival giants and dwarfs, bullfights, and regional singing and folk dancing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: platformlectern, podium, dais, rostrum - A lectern is the stand on which the speaker's notes are placed, the podium is the platform on which the speaker and lectern stand, a dais is a platform for several people, and a rostrum is a platform for one or more. More... pulpit - From classical Latin pulpitum, "platform, stage." More... hustings - Its early meaning of "platform" led to its sense of "any place from which campaign speeches are made" and "political campaigning." More... rostrum - Latin for "beak," it first referred to part of the Rome Forum decorated with bird beaks and used as a platform for speakers. More... | |