Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 24, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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portentous
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Cyrus the GreatBetter known as Cyrus the Great, Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. In around 550 BCE, Cyrus united the kingdoms of Media and Persia, forming the beginnings of an empire that would eventually spread from Egypt to the Indus River and become the largest state the world had yet seen. Because he respected the customs and religions of each part of his empire, Cyrus was often seen as a liberator rather than a conqueror. How does the Bible treat Cyrus? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Christmas Island Discovered by Captain James Cook (1777)Though Captain James Cook was certainly not the first person to set foot on Christmas Island—the atoll had been visited by native Pacific Islanders in the past—it was uninhabited when he found it. Both the UK and US later laid claim to the atoll, and they vied for power there for the next 100 years or so, until it gained independence as part of the 33-island Republic of Kiribati and was renamed Kiritimati. Before it gained independence, the US and UK used the atoll as a testing ground for what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 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 | |
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 Without self-confidence we are as babes in the cradles. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly? By thinking that other people are inferior to oneself.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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flip (one's) wig— To react to something, good or bad, with strong emotion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 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... | |