Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 25, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unguent
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The St. Bartholomew's Day MassacreDuring the French Wars of Religion, Catherine de Médici plotted to have Gaspard II de Coligny—leader of the French Protestants known as Huguenots—assassinated. When the attempt failed, she convinced King Charles IX to murder all of the Huguenot leaders, who were in Paris for the wedding of the future Henry IV. The massacre began on August 24—St. Bartholomew's Day—and spread to the provinces. By October, tens of thousands of Huguenots had been killed. Why was Catherine able to influence Charles? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Cedar Fire Spreads in Southern California (2003)One of 15 fires to ravage Southern California during October 2003, the Cedar Fire was the largest wildfire in the state's history. Fanned by the Santa Ana Winds, the fire burned 280,278 acres (1,134 sq km), destroyed 2,820 buildings, and killed 15 people. It was not until November 3 that firefighters achieved full containment. The devastation caused by the fire led to criticism of the emergency response and calls for changes in the regulations for firefighting aircraft. What started the fire? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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.jpg) Johann Strauss II (1825)Strauss was a world-renowned Austrian composer best known for his waltzes, among them the popular Blue Danube. The son of a composer, he formed an orchestra in 1844 that was immediately successful and rivaled that of his father. Composing more than 400 waltzes, Strauss revolutionized the Viennese waltz, endowing it with new melodic, rhythmic, and orchestral richness. Why did Strauss's brother Eduard destroy a large portion of the family's original orchestral archives, including Johann's? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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down in the mouth— Visibly sad or depressed. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Crispin's Day (2022)According to legend, Crispin and his brother Crispinian traveled from Rome to the French town of Soissons, where they preached and earned a living as shoemakers. The people of Soissons built a church in their honor in the sixth century, and since that time they have been known as the patron saints of shoemakers and other workers in leather. This is also the day on which the French and English armies fought the battle of Agincourt in the middle period of the Hundred Years War (1415). More... | |