Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 23, 2021)Word of the Day | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
impracticable
|
Article of the Day | |
---|---|
The Capture of the HodagIn 1893, newspapers reported the discovery of a monstrous creature in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Called the "Hodag," it had the head of a frog, the face of an elephant, the back of a dinosaur, huge claws, and a long tail with spears on the end, according to townsman Eugene Shepard, who reported killing the beast with dynamite and later claimed to have captured one alive. Thousands came to see the creature, which he put on display at his home. What forced him to finally admit it had all been a hoax? More... |
This Day in History | |
---|---|
George Washington Resigns as Commander-in-Chief (1783)After demonstrating exemplary leadership as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, George Washington resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon, Virginia. By resigning his military post, Washington established the important precedent that civilian-elected officials possess ultimate authority over the armed forces. After a brief retirement, he was elected the country's first president. Why was he given a posthumous military promotion in 1976? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
---|---|
Madam C.J. Walker (1867)Thought to be America's first black female millionaire, this daughter of ex-slaves was orphaned at 7, working at 10, married at 14, and a widow with an infant at 20. She worked as a domestic and laundress and in her scant spare time developed a treatment system to stop hair loss in African-American women and create smooth, shiny coiffures. She soon expanded her product line, and by 1917, her cosmetics empire was the largest black-owned business in the US. What did she do with her riches? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
---|---|
Virtue never has been as respectable as money. Mark Twain (1835-1910) |
Idiom of the Day | |
---|---|
flap (one's) gums— To chatter or blather. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
---|---|
Festivus (2022)The holiday of Festivus first originated on the Seinfeld television program in the 1990s. The character Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza, invented the holiday when he found that the usual year-end holidays did not fulfill him. Festivus, he explains, is "for the rest of us." To mark Festivus, a plain aluminum pole is placed in a bucket of cement. One by one, those present grab the pole and air their grievances about how other people disappointed them in the past year. After this comes the "feats of strength," in which all those present try to subdue the head of the household. More... |