Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, May 27, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Relative Pronouns and Relative ClausesA relative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to connect a relative clause to the main clause in a sentence. What two purposes do relative clauses serve in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Codex VigilanusCompleted by three monks in 976, the Codex Vigilanus is an illuminated compilation of historical documents from the Visigothic period in Spain. Named after one of its illustrators, Vigila, the codex contains a variety of texts, including the Visigothic code, the canons of the Councils of Toledo, the decrees of several early popes, and various pieces of civil and canon law. It also contains a calendar, historical narratives, and the first mention and representation in the West of what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Jawaharlal Nehru Dies in Office (1964)Nehru was an Indian statesman and leader with Mohandas Gandhi in the struggle for Indian home rule. Nehru served as president of the Indian National Congress, and, in 1947, became India's first prime minister, leading the country through the difficult early years of independence. Domestically, he promoted democracy, socialism, secularism, and unity, adapting modern values to Indian conditions. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, later served as prime minister. What is believed to have killed Nehru? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794)Cornelius was the patriarch of the famous Vanderbilt family. As a youth, he ferried freight and passengers in New York Harbor. As an adult, he gained control of most of the ferry lines around New York City and quickly expanded up and down the coast. He had similar success in the railroad business and died with an estate worth more than $100 million, the largest personal fortune accumulated in the US to that date. Why did Vanderbilt, who had 13 children, leave nearly everything to just one son? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 November, n.: The eleventh twelfth of a weariness.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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mind the gap— An audio or visual instruction used in the UK and Ireland to be careful stepping over the space between a train's carriage and the platform when boarding or disembarking. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Indianapolis 500 (2018)The "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," popularly known as the Indy 500, is actually the culmination of a month-long event. It begins the first week in May with a parade around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the two-and-a-half-mile oval track on which the race takes place. Then there are qualifying races to determine who will participate in the final race, which is held on the Sunday before Memorial Day. The race itself, which has been held in Indianapolis since 1911, regularly attracts about 400,000 spectators, in addition to a nationwide television audience. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: plumdrupe - A fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone (e.g. almonds, cherries, plums, olives), it comes from Latin drupa, "overripe olive," from Greek druppa, "olive." More... plum, prune - Plum and prune are ultimately the same word, coming from Greek proumnon. More... plum job - Relates to the 1600s British term "plum" for 1,000 pounds, meaning a serious amount of money. More... plum pudding - So named because it was originally made with plums—the word was retained to denote "raisin," which became the main ingredient. More... | |