Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
paring Definition: (noun) Something, such as a skin or peel, that has been pared off. Synonyms: shaving, sliver Usage: We do not mourn over the parings of our nails nor the cut locks of our hair, though they were once part of ourselves.

Article of the Day

Cuckoo Clocks A cuckoo clock is a wall or shelf clock that announces intervals of time with a sound imitative of a cuckoo's call and often with the simultaneous emergence of a mechanical bird from a small door. An Augsburg nobleman by the name of Philipp Hainhofer penned the first known description of a cuckoo clock in 1629. What region in southwest Germany boasts a strong clockmaking tradition that started in the late 17th century? More...

This Day in History

George Westinghouse Patents the Automatic Air Brake (1872) Prior to the advent of trucking in the early 1900s, rail was the only efficient way to transport goods over land. However, before the 1870s, there was no easy way to quickly stop the extremely heavy freight trains. Brakemen scrambled over the tops of moving cars to activate hand brakes on each one. The system was unreliable, resulting in frequent derailments, and many brakemen were killed or maimed after falling from trains. The air brake solved all of those problems. How did it work? More...

Today's Birthday

Howard Pyle (1853) Pyle was an American illustrator and writer who specialized in tales of chivalry and adventure for children. He rewrote and realistically illustrated classic tales about figures like Robin Hood and King Arthur, adapting the stories to suit a younger audience. In 1900, he founded an art school, and many of his students went on to become famous illustrators themselves. Today, he is considered the father of American illustration. Which noted Post-Impressionist painter was an admirer of Pyle's work? More...

Quotation of the Day
There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham. Anna Sewell (1820-1878)

Idiom of the Day
a woman of her word — A woman who can be expected to keep or follow through with her promises or intentions; a truthful, trustworthy, or reliable person. (Masculine: "man of his word.") More...

Today's Holiday

Tlacaxipehualiztli (Festival of Xipe Totec) (2024) Among the Aztec Indians of Mexico, Xipe Totec was a god of war. The observance of his festival took place in March according to the Gregorian calendar. Xipe Totec was often referred to as "Our Lord the Flayed One" (or, "the Flayer"), and images of him show the god wearing a human skin. The Festival was an occasion for Aztec warriors to mimic the god. They killed their prisoners of war and removed their skins from their bodies. They would then wear these skins for the entire 20-day month and hold mock battles, after which they would discard the now-rotting skins into caves or bury them. More...