Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 15, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The World's Longest EscalatorsThe escalator has come a long way since being patented in 1859. Hong Kong's Central-Mid-Levels escalator system is one of the world's most impressive, stretching about 2,600 feet (790 m). Colombia boasts a 1,260-foot (384-m) set of escalators that transformed a 35-minute foot climb into a six-minute ride. The longest single-span escalator in the Western Hemisphere can be found in the Wheaton Metro station in Washington, DC. How long does it take riders to ascend this 230-foot (70-m) escalator? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Space Rendezvous (1965)Three years after the first manned space flight, NASA launched the Gemini program, a series of two-man space missions aimed, among other things, at developing astronauts' ability to maneuver spacecraft. One goal was to achieve orbital rendezvous, and after a failed attempt in June 1965, Gemini had success. Astronaut Wally Schirra maneuvered the Gemini 6 spacecraft to within feet of Gemini 7, close enough to have docked had they been so equipped. When was the first docking achieved? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Oscar Niemeyer (1907)Considered one of the most important figures in modern architecture, Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer was a pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete. His buildings feature smooth curves that are distinct from those of his more utilitarian contemporaries. Niemeyer's remarkable work in the creation of Brazil's capital, Brasília, included his design for the President's Palace and the cathedral. In 1947, Niemeyer joined a team of architects to design what internationally recognized US building? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Brain, n.: An apparatus with which we think we think.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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caught unawares— To be surprised by someone or something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Consualia (2022)The infamous rape of the Sabine women occurred at the first Consualia in ancient Rome. Consus is said to have advised Romulus to abduct the Sabine women as wives for his supporters. The sanctuary dedicated to Consus in 272 BCE was located on the Aventine Hill in Rome, and sacrifices were held there during his festival. There were also horse and chariot races in the Circus Maximus, the large arena that lay between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Two festivals were actually held in honor of Consus—one on August 21 and the other on December 15. More... | |