Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 4, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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nonchalance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Gender-Neutral PronounsIdentifying a single person with a pronoun if their gender is not known can be done by using the third-person plural forms (they, them, etc.) as gender-neutral alternatives to the third-person feminine/masculine forms. What is this sometimes called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Gossamer AlbatrossThe Gossamer Albatross was a human-powered aircraft built by American aeronautical engineer Paul B. MacCready. Constructed using a carbon fiber frame with polystyrene wings, the aircraft was powered using pedals to drive a large, two-bladed propeller. On June 12, 1979, amateur cyclist Bryan Allen successfully piloted it across the English Channel, completing the 22-mile (36-km) crossing in less than three hours and achieving a top speed of 18 mph (29 km/h). What was its average altitude? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Haymarket Riot (1886)This violent confrontation between Chicago police and labor protesters, which dramatized the labor movement's struggle for recognition, began when a bomb was thrown into the police ranks at a gathering of radical unionists protesting police brutality against strikers. With seven officers dead and 60 wounded, the police opened fire on the crowd. Seven anarchist leaders were later sentenced to death. Why is their trial regarded as one of the most serious miscarriages of justice in US history? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655)Scholars believe that though Cristofori was employed as the custodian of musical instruments at the court of Prince Ferdinand de' Medici, he was hired for the position largely because of his other talent—inventing instruments. His most successful creation was the pianoforte, which, unlike the harpsichord, varies the volume of its sound depending on the force with which its keys are struck. He is thus generally regarded as the inventor of the piano. What other instruments did Cristofori invent? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Now, I hold it is not decent for a scientific gentTo say another is an ass-at least, to all intent; Nor should the individual who happens to be meant Reply by heaving rocks at him to any great extent. Bret Harte (1836-1902) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fresh-faced— Of or having an appearance of health, vitality, and/or youthfulness. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (2023)The Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia from the USSR is marked as a national public holiday in Latvia every May 4. On that date in 1990, Latvia's Supreme Court re-declared the country a free democratic parliamentary republic. Following a transitional period, full independence was attained on August 21, 1991. Since 1920, Latvia has been acknowledged continuously by other countries as an independent state, despite occupations by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1945, and by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941 and 1945 to 1991. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: nourishmentfoster - Comes from the Germanic base for "food" and it originally meant "food, nourishment." More... inanity, inanition - Inanity is intellectual or spiritual emptiness; inanition is the lack of nourishment. More... meat - First meant "food, nourishment"—especially solid food as opposed to drink. More... nourishment - Wine or spirits given medicinally can be called nourishment. More... | |