Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 26, 2023)Word of the Day | |||||||
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samizdat
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Article of the Day | |
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Film NoirFilm noir is a style of film characterized by low-key lighting, bleak urban settings, and corrupt, cynical characters who find themselves entangled in the criminal underworld. This dark genre, which gave rise to the film archetypes of the hardboiled private detective and the femme fatale, was especially popular in Hollywood in the 1940s. Classic examples of film noir include The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep. Who first coined the term film noir, and what does it mean? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Beaumont Siblings Disappear without a Trace (1966)The Beaumont children's disappearance from an Australian beach launched what would become one of the largest police investigations in Australian criminal history. On a hot summer day in 1966, nine-year-old Jane Beaumont took her two younger siblings to a nearby beach, but they never returned home. Police investigations revealed that the children had been seen with a strange man and later walking alone, but the case was never solved. In what way did their disappearance change Australian society? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Douglas MacArthur (1880)MacArthur is a major figure in US military and diplomatic history. He commanded a brigade in France during World War I and was commander of the Philippine military establishment in the late 1930s, but he is best remembered for the vital role he played in the Pacific theater of World War II and for his command of UN forces during the Korean War. Many Americans viewed MacArthur as a hero, but he was suddenly relieved of his post by President Truman at the height of the Korean War for what reason? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Habits in writing as in life are only useful if they are broken as soon as they cease to be advantageous. W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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a fine state of affairs— A situation that has gone wrong and is very problematic. The term is an instance of irony or sarcasm. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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India Republic Day (2023)This holiday is an important national festival in India, celebrating the day in 1950 when India's ties with Britain were severed and the country became a fully independent republic. The holiday is marked with parades and much celebration in all the state capitals, but the festivities in Delhi are especially grand. There is a mammoth parade with military units, floats from each state, dancers and musicians, and fly-overs. Independence Day on August 15 is also a national holiday, but it is observed chiefly with speech-making and none of the grandeur of Republic Day. More... |