Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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anachronistic
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| Article of the Day | |
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 OrientalismThe term "Orientalism," when used to refer to Westerners' study of Eastern cultures and peoples, has negative connotations, implying old-fashioned, prejudiced, outsider interpretations of the East. However, the term also refers to the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers, artists, and architects. Examples include Western attempts—from the Renaissance to the 18th century—to imitate the technical sophistication of what Chinese art form? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Frankenstein Is Published (1818)Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus is a gothic novel that spawned a new genre of horror stories. It tells the story of Frankenstein, a scientist who discovers how to bring inanimate matter to life and, in the process, creates a man-monster. When Frankenstein fails to provide a mate to satisfy the creature's human emotions, it seeks revenge. Mary Shelley came up with the idea for the novel while vacationing at the home of what famous poet? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Chiune Sugihara (1900)A Japanese diplomat, Sugihara was sent to Kaunas, Lithuania, in the early days of World War II. There, in direct violation of his orders from Tokyo, the consul began issuing transit visas for fleeing Jews. Without such visas, the refugees would not have been permitted to leave the country. In little over a month, he wrote thousands of visas, continuing even as the train removing him from his consulate post pulled out of the station. How did the Japanese government react to his insubordination? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Misery is manifold...as the rainbow; its hues are as various as the hues of that arch.Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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close the barn door after the horse has bolted— To try to prevent or rectify a problem after the damage has already been done. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bom Jesus dos Navegantes (2017)In Salvador, Brazil, the festival known as Bom Jesus dos Navegantes is celebrated on New Year's Day. A procession of small boats decorated with flags and streamers carries a statue of the Lord Jesus of Seafarers from the main harbor to the outlying beach of Boa Viagem. Thousands of spectators line Salvador's beaches to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. According to legend, sailors participating in the event will never die by drowning. A similar procession takes place on the same day in Angra dos Reis, 90 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. More... | |