Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 6, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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round-shouldered
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Japanese Spider CrabThe Japanese spider crab, Macrocheira kaempferi, is the largest living arthropod in the world. Fully grown, it can reach a leg span of almost 13 ft (4 m), a body size of up to 15 in (37 cm), and a weight of up to 44 lb (20 kg). The crab's natural habitat is on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean around Japan, at depths of several hundred meters. It is believed to have a life expectancy of up to 100 years. Why is catching Japanese spider crabs usually prohibited during springtime? 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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 The value of old age depends upon the person who reaches it. To some men of early performance it is useless. To others, who are late to develop, it just enables them to finish the job.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
| 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... | |