Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 5, 2021)Word of the Day | |||||||
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Article of the Day | |
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Chryselephantine SculptureDeveloped by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE, chryselephantine is a form of sculpture in which an inner core of wood is overlaid with ivory to simulate flesh. It is then trimmed with gold to simulate clothing and other adornments. The technique was used to make colossal religious statues for temples, but because the materials were so valuable, few examples remain intact today. There is a reproduction of one famous chryselephantine statue, the gigantic Athena Parthenos, in what US city? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Jackie Robinson Retires (1957)Robinson, a vocal member of the Civil Rights movement, was the first African-American baseball player in the modern major leagues and the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1949, he led the National League in both stolen bases and batting average and was named its most valuable player. In recognition of his accomplishments both on and off the field, Major League Baseball retired Robinson's number in 1997. How many times did he "steal home" during his career? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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King C. Gillette (1855)Advised to create a product for which there would be constant demand, traveling salesman and inveterate "tinkerer" King C. Gillette secured his place in history with the invention of a safety razor with a disposable blade. The razor was nothing new, but the blade was a groundbreaking innovation. In his first year of production, Gillette sold 51 razors and 168 blades. By the next year, sales had skyrocketed to 90,000 razors and over 12 million blades. How did World War I grow Gillette's business? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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endgame— The final stages of a process, development, or activity. An allusion to the last stage in chess, when the majority of pieces have been removed from the board. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Twelfth Night (2023)In England, the evening before the Epiphany is called Epiphany Eve, or Twelfth Night, and it traditionally marks the end of the Christmas season. Celebrations reflect ancient Winter Solstice rites encouraging the rebirth of the New Year and also the Magi's visit to the Christ child. Pageants held on this night typically include masked figures, costumed musicians, and traditional dances. Customarily, the Twelfth Night cake is sliced and served, and the man who gets the hidden bean and the woman the pea are the king and queen for the festivities. More... |