Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, September 4, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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prefatory
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| Article of the Day | |
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 MicrolithsFound in great numbers across Europe and Asia, microliths are very small blades made of flaked stone. Produced primarily during the Mesolithic Period, or Middle Stone Age, they were probably put to use in hunting and fishing weapons. Some could have been used as sharp tips for projectiles such as spears or arrows, while others may have been set together as teeth on harpoons. How do archaeologists distinguish microliths—which are typically shorter than the tip of a finger—from ordinary rocks? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Los Angeles Is Founded (1781)Now one of the most populous and diverse counties in the US, Los Angeles was first founded by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve and settled by missionaries. Its original name was El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Porciuncula, or The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula. It became part of the US in the 1840s and is today a global hub for culture and technology. Located on the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire, Los Angeles has about how many earthquakes every year? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anton Bruckner (1824)Bruckner was an Austrian composer who established a reputation as a virtuoso organist in Vienna. However, as a composer, he gained recognition slowly. He was 60 before he achieved fame with his 1884 Symphony No. 7 in E Major, one of nine that he completed. Socially awkward and eccentric, he developed a pattern of courting much younger women without success. Bruckner once accidentally alienated an influential critic after getting mixed up in a feud between what two famous composers? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Gallows, n.: A stage for the performance of miracle plays, in which the leading actor is translated to heaven.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Shinnecock Powwow (2020)The Shinnecock Indians, like many other Native Americans, host a major powwow over the long Labor Day weekend. The Shinnecock Powwow has been held for more than 50 years. Events include arts, crafts, music, storytelling, and, of course, dancing competitions. The Shinneock Indians are part of the Algonquian nation of Indians—Shinnecock means "those who live where the land flattens." The Shinnecock have been known as whalers and fishermen, and many of the foods served at the powwow reflect their historical links to the sea. More... | |