Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 16, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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highfalutin
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| Article of the Day | |
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 CastratiCastrati were male singers with artificially created soprano or alto voices that were the result of castration in boyhood. Possessing powerful voices of great range and unique sound, castrati were introduced in the 16th century. They were especially popular in churches and operas in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries and even sang in the Sistine Chapel choir until 1903. When was the practice of castrating prepubescent boys for musical purposes outlawed in Italy? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Sound of Music Opens on Broadway (1959)The Sound of Music, with a score by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Mary Martin starred as Maria, and Theodore Bikel played the role of Captain Georg von Trapp. The Tony Award-winning production ran for 1,443 performances. Productions in London, Japan, and Australia followed, as did the phenomenally successful 1965 film, starring Julie Andrews. What are some of the differences between the stage and screen versions? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Oswald Mosley (1896)Dubbed the 20th century's worst Briton by the BBC History Magazine, Mosley was a British politician who founded the British Union of Fascists, modeled upon the German and Italian fascist parties of the 1930s. Members adopted Nazi-style uniforms and promoted anti-Semitism. In 1940, Mosley and his second wife, Diana Guinness, a known friend of Adolf Hitler, were interned along with other prominent British fascists. Where had he and Guinness held their nuptials several years earlier? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow firm there, firm as weeds among stones.Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have its/(one's) day— To be at the height of or experience success or prosperity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bard of Armagh Festival of Humorous Verse (2022)The town of Armagh, Northern Ireland, is featured in a famous ballad called "The Bard of Armagh." That poem's title inspired the name of the Bard of Armagh Festival of Humorous Verse, an annual event that has taken place since 1993. Poets appear before audiences to recite their works and compete for best poem. To determine the official entries, a selection process was established that ensures each poem does not exceed a length of 650 words and features humorous verse suitable for a family audience. The finals usually take place at the Armagh City Hotel. More... | |