Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 10, 2019)Word of the Day | |||||||
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Article of the Day | |
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The SphinxThe sphinx was a mythical beast of ancient Egypt, usually represented in sculpture in a recumbent position with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The most famous of these is the Great Sphinx at Giza, built around 2500 BCE and considered by the ancients as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In Greek mythology, a sphinx poses a version of this famous riddle to Oedipus: "What walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?" What is the answer? More... |
This Day in History | |
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UN Passes Resolution Equating Zionism with Racism (1975)Palestine came under British control as Zionism—a movement seeking a Jewish homeland in Palestine—and Arab nationalism threatened to tear it apart. Amid increasing violence, the UN decided to split Palestine into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an internationally administered zone. This partition plan led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, a major victory for Zionists. Yet, in 1975, the UN General Assembly's Resolution 3379 equated Zionism with racism. How did Israel respond? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Martin Luther (1483)The teachings of Luther, a German theologian, widely disseminated by the then-novel printing press, sparked the Protestant Reformation. Luther denied the authority of the priesthood to mediate between the individual and God and rejected the sacraments except as aids to faith. His works were condemned by the pope and banned by the Holy Roman Emperor, but the Reformation soon swept across Europe, setting the stage for a century of religious war. Why did Luther translate the Bible into German? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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God...doth hang the greatest weights upon the smallest wires. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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Give me liberty, or give me death!— A set phrase indicating stark and unyielding refusal to submit to authoritarian measures or domination. The phrase is attributed to American politician Patrick Henry (1736–1799) from a speech he made to the Virginia Convention in 1775, calling for Virginian troops to assist in the Revolutionary War. Any number of alternative nouns can be used in place of "liberty" as a means of humorously or hyperbolically highlighting one's extreme reluctance to part with it. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Martinsfest (2022)Martin's Festival in Germany honors both St. Martin of Tours and Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation. In Düsseldorf, a man dressed as St. Martin rides through the streets followed by hundreds of children. Many carry lanterns made from hollowed-out pumpkins. In Erfurt, where Martin Luther attended the university, there is a procession of children carrying lanterns. With their lanterns, the children form the "Luther rose," or the escutcheon of Martin Luther. More... |