Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 6, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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rebuff
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Brood ParasitesBrood parasites are organisms—usually birds—that manipulate a host, either of the same or a different species, into raising their young. The parasitic parent avoids the effort of rearing young by abandoning its eggs in the nest of a host bird. After hatching, the parasitic nestlings may kill or crowd out the host’s own offspring. The host will often continue to feed and care for the invasive chicks even when they do not resemble its young and may physically dwarf the host itself. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 King Henry VIII Marries His Fourth Wife (1540)In 1539, Henry VIII of England—a monarch who became famous for having married six times—agreed to marry his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Although he tried to break this contract once he saw his homely bride-to-be, they wed in January 1540. Henry sought an annulment just months later, and Anne cooperated—a wise decision given that Henry had had his second wife, Anne Boleyn, executed after she failed to produce a male heir. Why had Anne of Cleves been considered an ideal match for Henry? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (1946)Barrett, an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and artist, was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. The band formed in 1965, and it soon became the most popular group in the "London Underground" psychedelic music scene. As the group's popularity grew, Barrett began behaving increasingly erratically, and he left Pink Floyd in 1968 amid speculations of mental illness exacerbated by drug use. After a short-lived solo career, Barrett retreated from public life and returned to doing what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To those who view the voyage of life from the port of departure the bark that has accomplished any considerable distance appears already in close approach to the farther shore.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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cat's pajamas— Something or someone highly enjoyable, desirable, or impressive, especially in a fancy or elaborate way. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Maroon Festival (2023)When Jamaica was a Spanish territory in the 16th century, African slaves were brought in to work the plantations. The Spanish eventually left, and the former slaves fled to the mountains. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the island's British inhabitants were often attacked by descendants of these fugitive slaves, who were called Maroons. The annual Maroon Festival on January 6 commemorates the peace treaty with the English and establishment of the town of Accompong. It is celebrated with traditional dancing and singing, feasts and ceremonies, and the blowing of the abeng. More... | |