Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, October 31, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dishearten
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Ancient Roman SanitationThe sophisticated sanitation system in ancient Rome has been the subject of study by historians and archeologists for centuries. Antiquity's largest city, imperial Rome counted well over a million inhabitants at its height. The city was supplied with water—from as far as 57 miles (92 km) away—by its many aqueducts, most of which were underground conduits. Some of the more famous stone arch versions are still standing. Rome also had a complex system of sewers. Where did they empty? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Britain Is Won (1940)The Battle of Britain was the first major German failure in World War II. The Royal Air Force (RAF), outgunned and outmanned, nevertheless defeated the German Luftwaffe and thwarted Hitler's plan for an amphibious invasion, which he had hoped would end the war quickly. The event was not only a testament to the courage of British pilots, but it also marked the first time a major battle was fought entirely in the air and featured the first use of radar in battle. Who were the "rows of idiots"? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Chiang Kai-shek (1887)After the Qing dynasty was overthrown and a republic established in China, Chiang joined the Kuomintang (KMT)—the Nationalist Party—and rose through the ranks to become commander in chief of the revolutionary army and eventual successor to leader Sun Yat-sen. Under Chiang's direction, the KMT broke with its former allies, the Communists, and began a protracted civil war. Despite some initial success, Chiang ultimately failed, and his government was driven from mainland China to where? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It has been observed that one's nose is never so happy as when thrust into the affairs of others, from which some physiologists have drawn the inference that the nose is devoid of the sense of smell.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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billet-doux— A love letter. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Apple and Candle Night (2022)This is another name for Halloween among children in the Swansea area of Wales. The traditional game of "Apple and Candle" is played by suspending a stick from the ceiling with an apple fastened to one end and a lit candle to the other. The object is to eat the apple without using hands and without getting burned by the swinging candle. To make the game more challenging, players are sometimes blindfolded and the stick is twirled around before the game begins. More... | |