Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 17, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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titivate
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| Article of the Day | |
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 KohlAncient Egyptians used kohl eyeliner for cosmetic as well as medical reasons, believing that it protected the eyes from the Sun. It remains popular in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East today. Though homemade preparations are made from soot, commercial kohl products often contain galena—also known as lead sulfide—and have the potential to expose users to lead. Many Indian parents line their babies' eyes with kohl or apply a dot of it behind their babies' ears to protect them from what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Simpsons Debuts (1989)One of the most popular animated TV shows in US history, The Simpsons has earned its spot in pop culture history through its parodies of the "Middle American" lifestyle. The show, created by Matt Groening, is a spin-off of a series of animated shorts originally aired on The Tracey Ullman Show and is currently both the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American animated program. What are some of the characters' famous catchphrases? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise du Châtelet (1706)The wife of a French marquis, du Châtelet defied convention in both her personal and professional life. She was a mathematician and physicist and wrote a number of scientific treatises as well as a translation of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica. She had several extramarital affairs—the most enduring of which was with philosopher and writer Voltaire, who once described her as "a great man whose only fault was being a woman." How did she once think her way out of a gambling debt? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Fear is sharp-sighted, and can see things underground, and much more in the skies.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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drop (one) a line— To contact someone, usually with a letter, note, or phone call. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Wright Brothers Day (2022)It was on the morning of December 17, 1903, that Wilbur and Orville Wright became the first men to fly and control a powered heavier-than-air machine. Events on December 17 traditionally include a "flyover" by military aircraft and a special ceremony held at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a 425-acre area that features a 60-foot granite pylon on top of Kill Devil Hill, where the Wright Brothers' camp was located. The flyover takes place at precisely 10:35 AM, the time of the original flight in 1903. More... | |