Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 31, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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decadence
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Mongolian Death WormThe terrifyingly named Mongolian death worm is a creature purported to live in China's Gobi Desert. Though its existence is widely debated, it is described as a bright red worm with a wide body that is 2 to 5 feet (0.6 to 1.5 m) long and is said to resemble a cow's intestine. Mongolian locals claim that the worm can emit an electrical shock and spew acid that kills humans on contact and corrodes anything it touches. How did the Western world find out about the Mongolian death worm in 1926? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Roberto Clemente Dies in Plane Crash (1972)Right fielder Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the National League MVP award in 1966, as well as 12 Gold Glove Awards throughout his career. In 1973, he became the first Latin-American player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Clemente, who was dedicated to charity work, was traveling to Nicaragua to deliver aid to earthquake victims when his plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico. Why did Clemente's teammate and good friend miss his funeral? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Simon Wiesenthal (1908)One of just a few hundred Galician Jews to have survived the Nazi death machine that was Hitler's Final Solution, Wiesenthal devoted his remaining years to tracking down fugitive Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice. "Many times I was thinking," he told his biographer, "that everything in life has a price, so to stay alive must also have a price. And my price was always that, if I lived, I must be deputy for many people who are not alive." How many of Wiesenthal's relatives perished? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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adrenaline junkie— One who constantly seeks out the sudden increase of energy associated with dangerous activities, similar to the way drug addicts seek out the "high" achieved by drug use. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Hogmanay (2022)In Scotland and the northern part of England, the last day of the year is known as Hogmanay. Scottish children used to call at the homes of the wealthy on this day and ask for their traditional gift of an oatmeal cake. They would call out, "Hogmanay!" and recite traditional rhymes or sing songs in return for which they'd be given their cakes to take home. Today, Hogmanay is celebrated much as is New Year's Eve around the rest of the Western world, with street and house parties. Such fire ceremonies as torchlight processions and lighting New Year's fires are popular traditions as well. More... | |