Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, November 9, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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smooth-tongued
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The GIUK GapThe GIUK gap is a naval warfare bottleneck in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland (G), Iceland (I), and the United Kingdom (UK). Such geographic "chokepoints" are of strategic importance, as they form relatively narrow passages that are more easily patrolled and secured. During the Cold War, the West kept a close eye on Soviet submarine activity through the gap, while the Soviets monitored it for any forces headed their way. What monitoring system did the US develop for this purpose? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Napoleon Bonaparte Leads the Coup of 18 Brumaire (1799)The Coup of 18 Brumaire, widely considered the effective end of the French Revolution, made way for the despotism of Napoleon. Planned by French statesmen Emmanuel Sieyès and Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, the coup allowed Napoleon to overthrow the weakened government of the Directory and replace it with the Consulate. The Consulate's executive branch consisted of three consuls, but Napoleon—as first consul—wielded all real power and soon became emperor. What is 18 Brumaire? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hermann Weyl (1885)A contemporary and onetime colleague of Albert Einstein, Hermann Weyl was a German mathematician whose work on the topics of space, time, matter, philosophy, and symmetry, to name a few, has earned him consideration as one of the most influential 20th-century mathematicians. His research advanced not only the field of mathematics but of theoretical physics as well. While teaching at a Zurich university, Weyl is alleged to have had an affair with the wife of what noted theoretical physicist? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 When he stepped off the straight and narrow path of his peculiar honesty, it was with an inward assertion of unflinching resolve to fall back again into the monotonous but safe stride of virtue as soon as his little excursion into the wayside quagmires had produced the desired effect.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a shiver down (one's) spine— A shudder felt down one's back, due to either fear, anticipation, nervousness, or excitement. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Birthday of Muhammad Iqbal (2022)In Pakistan, November 9 is a national holiday to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a famous Pakistani poet and philosopher. Iqbal was born in the city of Sialkot in the Punjab province of Pakistan on November 9, 1877. On this day, a number of functions are held to honor the great poet. Many educational institutions sponsor programs that showcase his life and achievements. In addition to the main function at Iqbal's tomb, the National Museum of Pakistan in Karachi exhibits Iqbal's personal belongings, including his costumes, books, and publications. More... | |