Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
phellem Definition: (noun) Outer tissue of bark; a protective layer of dead cells. Synonyms: cork Usage: Joe carefully harvested the phellem from the tree, excited at the prospect of using the buoyant material to make his very own toy boat.

Article of the Day

The Federal Reserve The US Federal Reserve was created in response to the Bank Panic of 1907, a financial crisis in the US during which the stock market crashed and the economy entered a recession. “The Fed” is a central banking system and note-issuing authority that regulates the country's credit and monetary policy. It is comprised of 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks located throughout the US, various member banks, and a supervisory Federal Reserve Board. What are some criticisms of the Federal Reserve System? More...

This Day in History

The Battle of Alcatraz Begins (1946) The Battle of Alcatraz followed an escape attempt from Alcatraz Island's federal penitentiary by six inmates who got stuck inside a cellhouse after failing to secure a key to the prison yard. Trapped, the inmates took the guards prisoner and took control of the cellhouse. The US Marines were called in, and two guards and three inmates died in the ensuing confrontation. Two inmates were later executed for their role in the incident. How long was it before the next attempted escape from Alcatraz? More...

Today's Birthday

Yongle Emperor (1360) Born Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor was the favorite son of the founder of China's Ming dynasty. He spent his youth developing a military career but was passed over for the throne. He rebelled and seized the throne from his nephew in 1402. As emperor, he greatly extended China's scope and influence. He moved the capital to Beijing, built the Forbidden City, and sponsored the compilation of an immense encyclopedia of Chinese culture and history. What was the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing? More...

Quotation of the Day
But that intimacy of mutual embarrassment, in which each feels that the other is feeling something, having once existed, its effect is not to be done away with. George Eliot (1819-1880)

Idiom of the Day
have (some/any) qualms about (something or someone) — To have some or certain hesitations, apprehensions, uneasiness, or pangs of conscience (about something or someone). (Also often used in the negative to mean the opposite.) More...

Today's Holiday

Flores de Mayo (2024) Flores de Mayo ("May flowers") festivals take place throughout the Philippines during the month of May. Children create offerings of flowers and bring them to their churches in the afternoon. Parades make their way through towns and villages, with girls wearing traditional costumes followed by their relatives and friends singing Hail Marys. The festival ends on May 31 with fiestas everywhere. In big cities like Manila, Flores de Mayo is one of the largest festivals of the year, featuring May Queens and fancy dress balls. More...