Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, November 13, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 MosquesThe mosque has traditionally been the center of social, political, and educational life in Islamic societies. Although Muhammad's house in Medina served as the prototype for Muslim houses of worship, mosques appear quite different in various parts of the world due to the influence of local architectural styles. Minarets, towers from which the call to prayer is sounded, are common features of mosques, as are courtyards surrounded by arcaded porticoes. What determines the orientation of a mosque? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ronald DeFeo, Jr., Murders Family in Amityville, New York (1974)After the DeFeo family was discovered murdered in their beds, Ronald DeFeo, Jr.—the family's only surviving member—was placed under police protection. DeFeo initially told investigators that he believed the murders were a mob hit, but he soon confessed and was convicted of murdering his parents and four siblings. A number of controversies surround the case, especially regarding the possible involvement of DeFeo's sister Dawn. What best-selling novel and series of films did these events inspire? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Edward III of England (1312)Crowned at age 14, after his mother helped her lover, Roger de Mortimer, depose his father, Edward III reigned over England for 50 years. He wielded little power at first but after a few years seized the reins of government, had Mortimer executed, and forced his mother into retirement. Edward's long reign saw the ravages of the Black Death as well as vital developments in legislature and government. In 1337, he laid claim to the French crown, provoking what century-long conflict? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is essential to the idea of a law, that it be attended with a sanction; or, in other words, a penalty or punishment for disobedience.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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grab and go— (used before a noun; sometimes hyphenated) Characterized by being very quick and easy to obtain, access, and use. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Frances Cabrini (2022)The first American citizen to be proclaimed a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, Francesca Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) was born in Italy. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1880 and went on to establish orphanages, schools, and hospitals in many American cities, as well as in Europe and South America. She was canonized on July 7, 1946. Her feast day is commemorated in many places, but particularly at Mother Cabrini High School in New York City, in whose chapel she is buried, and at every establishment of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. More... | |