Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, November 3, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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tune-up
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Vanishing HitchhikerTold across the world in many variations, the vanishing hitchhiker story is a popular urban legend whose most common version involves a lone motorist who picks up a hitchhiker. This hitchhiker later vanishes without explanation, often from a moving vehicle. The driver eventually tracks down the hitchhiker's relatives only to learn that the person in question died long ago. In other versions of the legend, the hitchhiker predicts a future disaster. What are some early examples of the tale? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Gojira Opens in Japan (1954)The Japanese film Gojira introduced the world to Godzilla, the enormous, radioactive lizard monster who wreaks havoc on Tokyo. Released just nine years after atomic bombs leveled Japanese cities, Gojira was wildly popular. It inspired other movies and TV shows, as well as the creation of other monsters, like Mothra. When the film was released in the US, Japanese-to-English transliteration turned "Gojira" into "Godzilla." Why was it heavily edited before its release stateside? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Aurangzeb (1618)Aurangzeb was emperor of the Mughal Empire of India from 1658 to 1707. Though he brought the empire to its greatest heights, he also sowed the seeds of discontent that would ultimately be its undoing. During his early reign, he proved to be a capable though ruthless Muslim monarch of a mixed Hindu-Muslim empire. Later, however, his devout religious side came to dominate, and he mercilessly oppressed non-Muslims. Whom did Aurangzeb kill and imprison in order to gain the throne in the first place? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nothing ever comes to me, that is worth having, except as the result of hard work.Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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bossyboots— Someone who is bossy or controlling. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bunka-no-Hi (2022)Bunka-no-Hi is a Japanese national holiday on which medals are awarded by the government to those who have made special contributions in the fields of arts and sciences. Winners are not always Japanese—the American Apollo 11 astronauts are among past honorees. This is also the anniversary of the adoption of Japan's current constitution in 1946. The day was formerly celebrated as the birthday of Emperor Meiji, whose reign was known as the age of bummei-kaika—"civilization and enlightenment." Today, this holiday serves to promote the love of freedom, peace, and cultural development. More... | |