Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 1, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The SistrumThe sistrum is a percussion instrument that functions much like a tambourine. Often made of metal, it consists of a handle and a U-shaped frame run through with thin, loosely set crossbars. The crossbars can have little metal rings or loops on them, and when the sistrum is shaken, the crossbars and loops jangle. The sistrum was used in ancient Sumer, Rome, and Egypt, and some Egyptian goddesses were depicted holding the instrument. What churches still use the sistrum in religious services? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Arecibo Observatory Opens (1963)Located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory is the site of the world's largest single-aperture telescope. The telescope dish, built into a natural limestone bowl, measures an astonishing 1,000 feet (305 m) in diameter. It is used in radar studies of comets and asteroids, as well as in radio astronomy, to detect and analyze radio waves from space. In what year was the Arecibo message, an attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life, transmitted from the radio telescope? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Wegener (1880)Though known during his lifetime for his achievements in meteorology and as a pioneer of polar research, Wegener is today primarily remembered for positing the first detailed theory of continental drift. According to Wegener, the present continents were originally one large landmass that gradually separated and drifted apart. His evidence included the jigsaw lineup of certain continents and paleontological similarities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. What did he call this supercontinent? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 By indignities men come to dignities.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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bon viveur— A connoisseur of food and wine. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Author's Day (2022)The idea of setting aside a day to celebrate American authors came from Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement (Illinois) Women's Club in 1928. In 1949, the day was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sue Cole, McPherson's granddaughter, was largely responsible for promoting the observation of National Author's Day after her grandmother's death in 1968. She urged people to write a note to their favorite author on this day to "brighten up the sometimes lonely business of being a writer." More... | |