Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, November 3, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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syrupy
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| Article of the Day | |
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 RinderpestAlso called "cattle plague," rinderpest was an acute, highly contagious viral disease of cattle with a sudden onset and high mortality. For centuries, it was the most severe infectious disease of cattle. Experiments with vaccination began in the 1700s, but it was not until the 1900s that widespread eradication efforts began meeting with success. In 2011, the UN formally declared rinderpest the second disease ever to have been eradicated in the wild. What was the first? 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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 From reading too much, and sleeping too little, his brain dried up on him and he lost his judgment.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| 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... | |