Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 17, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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indigent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Informal Uses of EllipsesWhile shortening quoted material is the "official" use of the ellipsis, it is used differently (and perhaps more commonly) in informal or creative writing. What are some informal uses of the ellipsis? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Van de Graaff GeneratorInvented in 1929 by American physicist Robert Van de Graaff, the Van de Graaff generator is a device in which electrically charged particles are sprayed on a moving belt and carried to an insulated terminal in a hollow metal sphere, building up to create a lightning-like discharge. The first model was made using an ordinary silk ribbon from a five-and-dime store, but later models proved capable of generating millions of volts. Where is the world's largest Van de Graaff generator on display? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Bay of Pigs Invasion Begins (1961)The ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion was a US-supported invasion of Cuba by an armed force of approximately 1,500 Cuban exiles attempting to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Trained and armed by the US government, the rebels intended to foment an insurrection in Cuba, but the rebellion never materialized and the Cuban army defeated the invading forces in a matter of days. An internal CIA report investigating the incident later identified what factors as responsible for the failure? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Isak Dinesen (1885)Better known by her pen name Isak Dinesen, Baroness Karen Blixen was a 20th-century Danish author who wrote primarily in English. Published in 1937, her autobiographical Out of Africa, an account of life on a Kenyan coffee plantation, was adapted into a 1985 film that won seven Academy Awards. Another adaptation of one of her stories, Babette's Feast, was the first Danish film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. What diseases may have contributed to her death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Just think what a dull world it would be if everyone was sensible.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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engine room— The main source of talent, power, or ability in a team or group, likened to the room that houses a ship's engine. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Verrazano Day (2023)Observed in New York state, Verrazano Day commemorates the discovery of New York Harbor by the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano on April 17, 1524. With the backing of King Francis I of France, Verrazano sailed his ship to the New World, reaching the Carolina coast in March 1524, and then sailing northward, exploring the eastern coast of North America. He also discovered Block Island and Narragansett Bay in what is now Rhode Island. In naming the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York gave Verrazano official recognition. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: northarctic - Comes from the ancient Greeks' word for north, arktikos, literally "of the bear"; arctic should be pronounced AHRK-tik. More... above - Traces back to Old English bove, first meaning "north" and later taking the meaning of "overhead." More... true north - North according to the earth's axis, not magnetic north. More... cold - When the moon is far to the north, it is popularly called a cold moon. More... | |