Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 4, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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peddler
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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WhoseThe interrogative adjectives "what" and "which" can often be used interchangeably, while "whose" is very different. What does "whose" denote? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Revenge of the Forty-Seven RoninThe Forty-seven Ronin were a group of Japanese samurai who, in 1703, assassinated Lord Kira, the official responsible for the disgrace and consequent seppuku—ritual suicide—of their master, Lord Asano. Though the ronin had followed the precepts of bushido—the samurai code of conduct—by avenging their lord’s death, their actions defied shogunate authority, and they were therefore ordered to commit seppuku. Today, they are regarded as heroes. Why was one of the ronin pardoned? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Kent State Shootings (1970)In 1970, the US was in the midst of the Vietnam War, and antiwar demonstrations among students were common. When students at Ohio's Kent State University decided to protest the incursion of US forces into Cambodia, no one imagined it would end in tragedy. But National Guard troops called in to disperse the crowd opened fire, killing four and wounding nine others. The shooting sparked nationwide outrage and became a rallying point for antiwar activists. Where else were student protesters killed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Horace Mann (1796)Mann overcame limited early education to enter law and politics. He became secretary of Massachusetts' new board of education in 1837, at a time when the public school system was in poor condition. In his 12 years there, he established high schools, enhanced teacher training and pay, curbed child labor, and improved facilities and equipment. He fought for free, nonsectarian, universal schooling, greatly advancing education in the US. What quote is engraved on his monument at Antioch College? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It seems to me that I have always existed and that I possess memories that date back to the Pharaohs.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be no slouch— To be very hardworking, enthusiastic, and/or skillful. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cassinga Day (2021)On May 4, 1978, South African forces attacked a SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organization) base located in the old Angolan mining town of Cassinga. Hundreds of Namibians died during the attack. Namibia eventually won its political independence in 1990 and is currently ruled by the SWAPO party government, and a national holiday is declared every year on the anniversary of the attack to commemorate those who died in their country's struggle for independence. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: materialstaboret - An artist's multi-drawer cabinet table for tools and materials. More... compendium - Latin for "that which is weighed together," it is a complete summary or abridgment or a concise collection of materials—not an all-encompassing or comprehensive work (plural is compendiums or compendia). More... hygroscopic - Describing the ability or tendency of a material to take up moisture readily from the surrounding air or other moist materials. More... molecular gastronomy - The study and application of chemistry, physics, and other scientific principles on cooking processes, preparation, and materials. More... | |