Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 23, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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baffle
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Eta CarinaeAround 1730, astronomers noted that Eta Carinae—one of the most massive stars known to science—had gotten brighter. It soon faded, only to intensify again in April 1843. Despite its enormous distance from Earth—about 7,500 light years—Eta Carinae became the second brightest star in the sky before again fading. Though the star was not destroyed in the 1843 "supernova imposter event," it could undergo a catastrophic explosion in the relatively near future. How might such an event affect Earth? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George Washington Resigns as Commander-in-Chief (1783)After demonstrating exemplary leadership as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, George Washington resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon, Virginia. By resigning his military post, Washington established the important precedent that civilian-elected officials possess ultimate authority over the armed forces. After a brief retirement, he was elected the country's first president. Why was he given a posthumous military promotion in 1976? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Madam C.J. Walker (1867)Thought to be America's first black female millionaire, this daughter of ex-slaves was orphaned at 7, working at 10, married at 14, and a widow with an infant at 20. She worked as a domestic and laundress and in her scant spare time developed a treatment system to stop hair loss in African-American women and create smooth, shiny coiffures. She soon expanded her product line, and by 1917, her cosmetics empire was the largest black-owned business in the US. What did she do with her riches? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We have no right to distress any of God's creatures without a very good reason.Anna Sewell (1820-1878) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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flap (one's) gums— To chatter or blather. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festivus (2022)The holiday of Festivus first originated on the Seinfeld television program in the 1990s. The character Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza, invented the holiday when he found that the usual year-end holidays did not fulfill him. Festivus, he explains, is "for the rest of us." To mark Festivus, a plain aluminum pole is placed in a bucket of cement. One by one, those present grab the pole and air their grievances about how other people disappointed them in the past year. After this comes the "feats of strength," in which all those present try to subdue the head of the household. More... | |