Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 10, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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welter
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| Article of the Day | |
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 FamagustaThe city of Famagusta is located in Eastern Cyprus. It occupies the site of ancient Arsinoë—built in the 3rd century BCE by the Egyptian king Ptolemy II—and is thought to be the setting for much of Shakespeare's play Othello. In the 20th century, Famagusta served as a British naval base and was heavily bombed in World War II. From 1946–1948, a British internment camp for illegal Jewish immigrants to Palestine was maintained near the city. Why was Famagusta completely evacuated in 1974? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense (1776)Paine was an Anglo-American political theorist and pamphleteer. He anticipated and helped foment the American Revolution through his powerful writings, most notably the enormously successful pamphlet Common Sense, in which he argued that the colonies had outgrown any need for English domination and should be granted independence. Paine's influence was also strongly felt during the French Revolution, and, despite the fact that he did not speak French, he was elected to what governing body? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Stephen Ambrose (1936)American historian and prolific author Stephen Ambrose gained fame for his biographies of US presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon as well as for his bestselling books about World War II, including Citizen Soldiers and D-Day. His works—especially the book Band of Brothers, which served as the basis for a television miniseries of the same name—inspired a renewed interest in the sacrifices of American soldiers. Why have some of his works been criticized? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Music...takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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riffraff— Undesirable, disreputable, or vulgar people, often used in a condescending manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Benin National Vodoun Day (2023)Vodoun is an ancient, African, pantheistic religion. When it was brought to the Americas by African slaves, it was blended with elements of Christianity into what is known as "Voodoo." The present African country of Benin, situated on the former kingdom of Dahomey, is known as a center of Vodoun culture. The day is celebrated throughout Benin with processions, Vodoun rituals, dances, and even an international film festival. The celebration's central activity, however, is the re-enactment of the journey from the slave auction block in the center of town to the ships in the harbor. More... | |