Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
sprite Definition: (noun) A small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers. Synonyms: fairy, fay Usage: She seemed rather an airy sprite, which, after playing its fantastic sports for a little while upon the cottage floor, would flit away with a mocking smile.

Article of the Day

Viking Longships Longships were the boats used by the Vikings of Scandinavia and Iceland for trade, exploration, and warfare between the 8th and 11th centuries. Long and narrow, the boats were designed for speed and were propelled by teams of rowers, sometimes aided by sails. They were shallow enough to land on beaches and light enough to be carried over land. They were also double-ended and could reverse direction quickly. Why, according to legend, were crows brought along on some longship voyages? More...

This Day in History

Nazi Party Founded in Germany (1920) The term National Socialist—or Nazi, for short—was added to the name of the German Workers' Party the year after it was founded. On the day it was renamed, swiftly-rising new member Adolf Hitler outlined the party's official platform before 2,000 people, its largest audience yet. During the Great Depression, millions of jobless voters joined the party, and in 1932 it became the largest bloc in the Reichstag. How did Hitler manage to make it the only political party in Germany? More...

Today's Birthday

John Peter Wagner (1874) Wagner was an American baseball player who led the National League in batting eight times. He entered the majors in 1897, and played for Pittsburgh most of his career. Though massively built, he was agile, leading his league in stolen bases five times and scoring almost 1,800 runs. He retired in 1917 but returned to coach the Pirates for almost two decades. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1936. Fans called him "The Flying Dutchman" for his speed, but he had another nickname. What was it? More...

Quotation of the Day
To flatter and follow others, without being flattered and followed in turn, is but a state of half enjoyment. Jane Austen (1775-1817)

Idiom of the Day
make (one's) own way — To advance or progress, especially through life, according to one's own efforts, inclinations, or designs. More...

Today's Holiday

N'cwala (2024) In 1835, the Ngoni tribe left South Africa and moved into what is now the country of Zambia. The N'cwala festival celebrates the tribe's satisfaction with its environs since that time, and also marks the beginning of the harvest. This is a festival of thanksgiving and people congregate in the village of Mutenguleni, including the paramount chief. Groups of dancers display their skills for the chief, who traditionally chooses one group as having outdone the others. The chief is also responsible for being the first to sample the season's new foods and blessing it for the people. More...