Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 25, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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waft
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The NomenklaturaIn the Soviet Union and other Communist countries, the nomenklatura was an elite group of Communist Party members in key administrative government positions. It arose during Vladimir Lenin's tenure early in the 20th century. Certain officials—"patrons"—had the authority to appoint individuals—called "clients"—to certain positions. The client was thus beholden to his patron for employment, which helped to maintain the power structure. What was Joseph Stalin's nickname within the nomenklatura? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Montgisard (1177)The Kingdom of Jerusalem—a feudal state created by the leaders of the First Crusade in the areas they had wrested from the Muslims in Syria and Palestine—came under attack in the Battle of Montgisard. Although heavily outnumbered, sickly king Baldwin IV and his troops defeated renowned Kurdish military general Saladin by surprising his army en route. The kingdom enjoyed a brief truce before Saladin renewed his attacks. What powerful Christian military order participated in the battle? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Andrew Carnegie (1835)Famed Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie amassed a huge fortune in iron and steel during the American Industrial Revolution, eventually selling his firm to J.P. Morgan's U.S. Steel Corporation for several hundred million dollars. However, Carnegie was not content to keep his riches to himself. Guided by the belief that the rich are "trustees" of their wealth and must administer it for the good of the public, he donated how much of his fortune during his lifetime? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people.Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Hell hath no fury like a (certain type of person) scorned— No one will have a greater wrath or vengeance than (this type of person) when he or she has been wronged. A hyperbolic and often humorous play on the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," in which any person, demographic, or profession may be substituted for "woman." More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Catherine's Day (Estonia) (2022)Estonian folklorists believe that the customs associated with Kadripäev, or St. Catherine's Day, may date back to pre-Christian times. The holiday is strongly associated with women and their traditional activities, such as herding. People dress up in light-colored clothing, symbolizing winter's snow, and visit their neighbors, singing songs and offering blessings for the family's animals. In return, householders offer them cloth, wool, or food. An old superstition connected with the day forbade such activities as shearing as a means of protecting the sheep. More... | |