Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 22, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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impel
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Pan TwardowskiTwardowski is a character in Polish folklore who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for special powers, similar to the figure of Faust in German literature. Twardowski, a nobleman in 16th-century Krakow, tries to outwit the Devil by including in his contract with the Prince of Darkness the stipulation that his soul may only be claimed when he is in Rome—a place Twardowski intends never to go. Though Twardowski never does travel to Rome, the Devil collects when the man makes what misstep? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 US Bans Trade with All Foreign Nations (1807)In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, US Congress passed legislation banning trade between its ports and foreign nations. The Embargo Act was meant to pressure England and France to remove restrictions on commercial trading with neutral nations that they imposed in their war with each other. Napoleon had earlier decreed that no French ally or neutral nation could trade with Britain, and Britain had retaliated by blockading the northern European coastline. Did the embargo have the desired effect? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jean Racine (1639)Though Racine bore substantial criticism from his contemporaries, he is now considered one of France's "big three" 17th-century dramatists, along with Corneille and Molière. Racine's tragedies are a prime example of French classicism, and his Alexandrine verse is considered exceptional in its harmony, simplicity, and elegance. His Andromaque, about the tragic folly of passionate love, earned him recognition as France's leading tragic dramatist. What created a rift between him and Molière? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Death ... goes faster than the wind, and he never brings back what he takes.Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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cry-baby— A person who cries or complains a lot, especially for little reason. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Soyaluna (Hopi Soyal Ceremony) (2022)The Hopi traditionally believed that at the time of the Winter Solstice, the Sun had traveled as far from the Earth as he ever did. The purpose of Soyaluna is to prevent the disappearance of the Sun at the time of year when the days are at their shortest. The main ceremony takes place in the kiva, a large, circular underground room. Hopi priests prepare the kiva by scattering cornmeal around the floor. A stack of corn serves as an altar, surrounded by stalks and husks. At the solstice, everyone assembles in the kiva for rituals designed to bring the sun back for another agricultural year. More... | |