Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, May 14, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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timorous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Perfective vs. Imperfective AspectAspect is a grammatical term that has to do with how an action, state of being, or event unfolds in relation to time. The greatest distinction is made between the perfective aspect, which focuses on actions and events as whole elements, and the imperfective aspect, which does what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 George CurzonCurzon (1859-1925) was a British statesman and champion of the colonial ideal. A member of the minor aristocracy, he was known for his intelligence as well as his ego. Viceroy of India when the Indian famine claimed up to 9 million lives, he instituted a number of reforms before eventually resigning in 1905 over a spat with a field marshal. He then served as chancellor of Oxford and became foreign secretary in 1919. What was the one thing he desperately wanted, and did not get, before he died? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Rockefeller Foundation Established (1913)The Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic organization established by John D. Rockefeller to promote "the well-being of mankind throughout the world." Its first grant was issued to the American Red Cross, and over the years, it has donated more than $14 billion in grants to fund medical research, education, agriculture, and work in a number of other fields. Before and during WWII, it worked to bring scholars and artists persecuted by the Nazis to the US. Who was saved in this way? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316)Charles IV was a 14th-century Holy Roman Emperor, German king, and king of Bohemia. He was educated at the French court and fought the English at Crécy, where the heroic death of his father, John of Luxemburg, made him king of Bohemia. Pope Clement VI, to whom he had promised far-reaching concessions, helped secure his election as anti-king to Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV. After the death of Louis in 1347, Charles claimed the crown. He is considered the father of what modern-day nation? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The sea—this truth must be confessed—has no generosity. No display of manly qualities—courage, hardihood, endurance, faithfulness—has ever been known to touch its irresponsible consciousness of power.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be on a rampage— To be causing great destruction, disruption, or chaos; to be behaving very violently or aggressively. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Liberia National Unification Day (2025)This annual observance in Liberia draws attention to the animosity between the Americo-Liberian elite and the indigenous majority. Under the leadership of President William V. S. Tubman, who led from 1944 to 1971, the divide between these two groups was diminished. Tubman introduced the National Unification Policy, which featured among other things an extension of the vote to women and the country's indigenous people. The anniversary emerged as a means to draw support for the policy. The day reminds Liberians to remember what they hold in common and not to dwell on how they diverge. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: silenceobmutescence, obmutescent - Obmutescence is the act of becoming mute or silent—usually a stubborn, willful act; if you are inclined to silence, you are obmutescent. More... oyez - Meaning a call for silence and attention, it descends from Anglo-Norman oyez/oiez, "to hear" or "hear ye." More... silential - Describing something performed in silence. More... omerta - The code of silence in the Mafia, from the Italian word for "humility." More... | |