Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 16, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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tangential
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Antonine PlagueLasting from 165 to 180 CE, the Antonine Plague was a pandemic, either of smallpox or measles, brought to the Roman Empire by troops returning from campaigns in the Near East. The epidemic killed off entire towns and claimed the lives of two Roman emperors—Lucius Verus and his co-regent Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, whose family name was given to the plague. It resurged again nine years later and had drastic social and political effects throughout the empire. What was its estimated death toll? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of the Bulge Begins (1944)This major German counter-offensive on the Western Front during World War II was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the US Army during the war. Taking advantage of foggy weather, German forces attacked the thinly held American front in the Belgian Ardennes sector, catching the Allied forces unprepared. The Germans penetrated deep into the Allied lines. However, an American force held out at Bastogne, and the arrival of reinforcements turned the tide. How did the battle get its name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Catherine of Aragon (1485)Catherine of Aragon was queen consort of England and the first of King Henry VIII's six wives. When, after 18 years of marriage, Catherine had not produced a male heir, Henry resolved to have the marriage annulled and marry Anne Boleyn. When the Pope refused his request, Henry had Parliament pass the Act of Supremacy, repudiating Papal jurisdiction in England and making the king the head of the English church—beginning the English Reformation. Did Catherine accept the annulment? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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drive (one's) pigs to market— To snore. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bahrain National Day (2022)Bahrain is a small country of islands in the Persian Gulf. After being a British protectorate for more than 100 years, Bahrain became independent in 1971. National Day is a legal holiday observed on December 16 with fireworks, laser shows, and acrobatic and magic performances. More... | |