Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 8, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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soapbox
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Champs-ÉlyséesThis avenue in Paris, France, leads from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. It is divided in two by the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées. The lower part, toward the Place de la Concorde, is surrounded by gardens, museums, theaters, and restaurants. The upper part, toward the Arc de Triomphe, was traditionally a luxury commercial district. Twelve avenues radiate to form a star at the avenue's upper end, with the Arc de Triomphe at its center. To what does the avenue's name refer? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Pope Pius IX Defines Immaculate Conception as Dogma (1854)The Immaculate Conception is the Roman Catholic dogma that asserts that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved from the stain of original sin—the condition of sin that marks all humans as a result of Adam's first act of disobedience—at the moment of her conception. In 1709, Pope Clement XI made the feast of the Immaculate Conception a holy day of obligation—145 years before it became official church dogma. The Immaculate Conception is often confused with what other church doctrine? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Eli Whitney (1765)Whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin, a mechanical device that separates cotton fiber from its seeds. His invention, which had immense economic and social ramifications, brought great wealth to many others, but little to Whitney himself. In 1798, he built a firearms factory, and his products were some of the first to have standardized, interchangeable parts. Why did Whitney's ginning company go out of business only three years after he received his cotton gin patent? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make (oneself) useful— To do something that is actively helpful or of assistance to others. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of the Immaculate Conception (2022)The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is an important day throughout Latin America, but it is especially significant in the Mexican town of San Juan de los Lagos, where the celebration begins several days in advance. The town temporarily renames the streets where the festival will occur. On Calle de Alegria (Joy Street), for example, there are puppet shows, side shows, and musical performances. On the morning of December 8, the 11-inch image of the Virgin Mary leaves the local church, carried by priests on a silver litter. More... | |