Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 6, 2022)Word of the Day | |||||||
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termagant
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Article of the Day | |
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Tube AlloysThough allies, the US and UK struggled to collaborate on the building of the atom bomb during World War II. In hopes of spurring cooperation, members of the UK's bomb program—which was inconspicuously codenamed "Tube Alloys"—sent a report on their research to US scientists. The report was largely ignored until one of the British scientists traveled to the US. Hesitation by both sides followed, and the fledgling US effort eventually became the Manhattan Project. What happened to Tube Alloys? More... |
This Day in History | |
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King Henry VIII Marries His Fourth Wife (1540)In 1539, Henry VIII of England—a monarch who became famous for having married six times—agreed to marry his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Although he tried to break this contract once he saw his homely bride-to-be, they wed in January 1540. Henry sought an annulment just months later, and Anne cooperated—a wise decision given that Henry had had his second wife, Anne Boleyn, executed after she failed to produce a male heir. Why had Anne of Cleves been considered an ideal match for Henry? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (1946)Barrett, an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and artist, was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. The band formed in 1965, and it soon became the most popular group in the "London Underground" psychedelic music scene. As the group's popularity grew, Barrett began behaving increasingly erratically, and he left Pink Floyd in 1968 amid speculations of mental illness exacerbated by drug use. After a short-lived solo career, Barrett retreated from public life and returned to doing what? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Women ... have more power for good or evil than they dream of. Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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cat's pajamas— Something or someone highly enjoyable, desirable, or impressive, especially in a fancy or elaborate way. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Maroon Festival (2023)When Jamaica was a Spanish territory in the 16th century, African slaves were brought in to work the plantations. The Spanish eventually left, and the former slaves fled to the mountains. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the island's British inhabitants were often attacked by descendants of these fugitive slaves, who were called Maroons. The annual Maroon Festival on January 6 commemorates the peace treaty with the English and establishment of the town of Accompong. It is celebrated with traditional dancing and singing, feasts and ceremonies, and the blowing of the abeng. More... |