Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, December 30, 2019)Word of the Day | |||||||
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Article of the Day | |
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General TsoKnown in the West as General Tso, Zuo Zongtang was a Qing dynasty general who launched his political career by helping suppress the Taiping Rebellion. In the debate among Chinese officials about whether the coast or inland frontier was more vulnerable to attack, Zuo argued that Western interests were commercial in nature and could be contained diplomatically but that Russia's ambitions were territorial and warranted solid frontier defense. How did a popular chicken dish come to be named for him? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Saddam Hussein Is Executed (2006)During his presidency of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, Hussein instituted a brutal dictatorship, launching wars against Iran and Kuwait and directing campaigns against Iraqi minorities, particularly the Kurds. After an Anglo-American force invaded Iraq in 2003 and drove him from power, he spent several months in hiding but was captured by US forces. In 2006, the Iraqi High Tribunal sentenced him to death for crimes against humanity. What hobby did Hussein take up while in prison awaiting execution? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Hideki Tojo (1884)Tojo's accession as prime minister of Japan in 1941 marked the final triumph of the military faction that advocated war with the US and Great Britain. As the most powerful leader in the government during World War II, he approved the attack on Pearl Harbor and pushed the Japanese offensive in China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Tojo resigned after a string of military failures and later attempted suicide. He was arrested by the Allies and tried, convicted, and executed for what war crimes? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, but only one mother in the whole world. Kate Wiggin (1856-1923) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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800-pound gorilla— A person, group, or organization so powerful (either by size or by influence) that it does not need to heed the rules or threats of others. It refers to the riddle "Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit?" (Answer: "Wherever it likes.") Primarily heard in US. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Rizal Day (2022)A national holiday in the Philippines, Rizal Day commemorates the execution of the national hero, Dr. José Rizal, on this day in 1896. Flags fly at half-staff throughout the country, and special rites are led by the president at the 500-foot Rizal Monument in Manila. Writing from Europe and denouncing the corrupt ruling of the Philippines by Spanish friars, Rizal became known as a leader of the Philippine reform movement. He had no direct role in the nationalist insurrection, but he was arrested, tried for sedition, and executed by a firing squad. More... |