Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
laggard Definition: (noun) Someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind. Synonyms: dawdler, trailer, poke Usage: He was such a laggard that his friends were already paying the bill by the time he reached the café.

Article of the Day

Shirk In Islam, shirk refers to the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism—worshipping anyone or anything other than Allah, the singular God of Islam. Though shirk is always considered a sin, Islamic law distinguishes different grades of it, with the most serious being polytheism. Instances of lesser shirk include superstition, belief in the power of created things—such as reverencing saints—and seeking any who profess to know the future. What does shirk mean in Arabic? 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
There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. Homer (900 BC-800 BC)

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...