Daily Content Archive

(as of Thursday, May 30, 2019)
Word of the Day

ameliorate

Definition:(verb) To make better.
Synonyms:improve, amend
Usage: I sought to improve her manners and ameliorate her general tone.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Forming Complex Sentences

The order of the independent and dependent clause in a complex sentence is flexible. We can structure complex sentences with the independent clause first or with the dependent clause first. When the dependent clause is placed first, what do we generally follow it with? More...
Article of the Day

Armillary Sphere

Used as early as the third century BCE, armillary spheres are astronomical models of the celestial sphere—an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth, upon which the celestial bodies seem to lie. Fixed and movable rings representing circles of the celestial sphere, such as the ecliptic and the celestial equator, allow astronomers to use armillary spheres to determine the movements and positions of stars. A representation of this device is prominently featured on what country's national flag? More...
This Day in History

Andrew Jackson Kills Charles Dickinson in a Duel (1806)

In 1806, nationally famous duelist and expert marksman Charles Dickinson—whose dueling career included 26 kills—was goaded by political opponents of future US President Andrew Jackson to insult Jackson's wife. A duel was arranged between the men, and Jackson took a shot to the ribs before firing what would be a fatal shot at Dickinson—the only man Jackson ever killed in his 13 duels. Jackson's wife died in 1828, two weeks after Jackson was elected president. Whom did Jackson blame for her death? More...
Today's Birthday

Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer (1907)

A contemporary of American aviatrix Amelia Earhart, German airwoman Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer began her flying career as a stunt pilot. She went on to make several daring solo flights and was awarded the Hindenburg Cup for her achievements. In 1936, she married racecar driver Bernd Rosemeyer, and the couple, allegedly with some reluctance, became darlings of the Nazi regime. Bernd was killed in a speed record attempt two years later. How had Elly survived a crash in the Sahara in 1931? More...
Quotation of the Day
The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.

Henry James (1843-1916)

Idiom of the Day

amount to nothing

To result in no tangible or appreciable difference. More...
Today's Holiday

Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc (2023)

The second patron saint of France and one of the best known of all the saints, Joan of Arc was a young, pious peasant girl from the village of Domrémy. In 1428, she heard voices she identified as St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret telling her to help the dauphin, Charles VII, recover his kingdom from the British. Her mission was accomplished within 15 months, but Joan was captured by the king's enemies, tried for witchcraft and heresy, and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: ruin

confuse - Originally meant "rout" or "bring to ruin." More...

naufrage - An old word for shipwreck or ruin. More...

defeature - The undoing or ruin of something. More...

fordo - "To do away with," "to destroy, ruin." More...

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