Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 24, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fugacious
| |||||||
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Carson MansionThe word "mansion" does not do justice to the castle-like Carson Mansion in Eureka, California. Completed in 1886 and considered one of the highest executions of American Queen Anne architecture, it is perhaps the most photographed Victorian building in the US. The stately residence was built for failed-gold-miner-turned-lumber-baron William Carson, who came to the US from Canada seeking his fortune and, after some initial missteps, found it. What has been housed in the residence since 1950? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Treaty of Ghent Signed (1814)The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812 between the US and the UK. Although the treaty was signed in December, fighting continued for several weeks because it took time for news of the agreement to reach North America. The treaty essentially restored prewar borders and failed to deal with the matters of neutral rights and impressment that were the ostensible causes of the conflict. It did, however, included certain progressive terms that called for the signatories to put a stop to what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 James Prescott Joule (1818)One of the great experimental scientists of the 19th century, Joule is the man for whom the standard mechanical unit of work is named. He was an English physicist who made valuable contributions to the study of heat, electricity, and thermodynamics. His work established the mechanical theory of heat, determined the relationship between heat energy and mechanical energy, and established the first law of thermodynamics. He also applied his intellect to helping operate what family business? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Though a man be wise, it is no shame for him to live and learn.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
flip (one's) wig— To react to something, good or bad, with strong emotion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Wigilia (2022)Wigilia means "to watch" or "keep vigil" in Polish. It takes place on Christmas Eve and commemorates the vigil that the shepherds kept on the night of Christ's birth, but it's very possible that the celebration goes back to pre-Christian times. Because some people still cling to the ancient belief that wandering spirits roam the land during the darkest days of the year, it is not uncommon for Poles to make an extra effort to be hospitable at Christmas time, leaving out a pan of warm water and a bowl of nuts and fruits for any unexpected visitors. More... | |