Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 29, 2017)Word of the Day | |||||||
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sacrilegious
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Article of the Day | |
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Star FortsWhen the maneuverable siege cannon came into use in the 15th century, military engineers had to rethink medieval-style fortifications, whose tall, broad walls were highly vulnerable to cannon fire. They developed the star fort, or trace italienne, a flat, tiered structure composed of low, thick walls embedded in ditches, whose complex shape allowed defensive cannons to cover interlocking fields of fire. What technologies eventually rendered the star fort's intricate geometry irrelevant? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Japan's Meiji Constitution Goes into Effect (1890)In the mid-19th century, Japan was forced to end its isolation by signing a series of unequal treaties that gave Western nations special privileges in Japan. The unpopular Tokugawa shogunate collapsed soon after and, in 1868, the boy emperor Meiji was "restored" to power. The Meiji constitution defined Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving its own power. What did Ito Hirobumi, who drafted the Meiji constitution, do to prepare himself for the task? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Mildred Gillars, AKA Axis Sally (1900)Mildred Sisk was born in Portland, Maine, but went to Europe in the 1920s, changed her name, and by 1934 was an English-language radio broadcaster in Berlin. During World War II, she broadcast Nazi propaganda aimed to demoralize American troops, who nicknamed her "Axis Sally." On the radio, Gillars emphasized the infidelity of soldiers' wives and sweethearts while they were overseas. She was convicted of treason in 1949 and spent 12 years in prison. What did she do after she was released? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Promises and pie-crusts are made to be broken. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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home sweet home— An expression of pleasure or relief upon returning to one's home, especially after an extended period away from it. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (2022)In 1977, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared November 29 International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On December 1, 2000, the Assembly reaffirmed the UN's responsibility to work towards the peaceful creation of a Palestinian homeland and lauded those countries that observed the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. More... |