Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
craven Definition: (adjective) Characterized by abject fear; cowardly. Synonyms: recreant Usage: The cowardly shopkeeper angered the revolutionaries with his craven proposal to raise the white flag and surrender.

Article of the Day

William Kemmler's 8-Minute Execution In 1890, William Kemmler became the first person to be executed via electric chair after murdering his wife with a hatchet. Appeals on the grounds that electrocution was "cruel and unusual punishment" were opposed by Thomas Edison, who allegedly wanted to use the electric chair to convince people that alternating current electricity was dangerous. Witnesses reported that Kemmler's last words were "Take it easy and do it properly, I'm in no hurry." What was Warden Charles Durston's reply? More...

This Day in History

Winston Churchill Delivers His "Finest Hour" Speech (1940) Churchill delivered his celebrated "Finest Hour" speech after it became clear that France's surrender to Germany was imminent and that this would bring the Nazi enemy to England's doorstep. Churchill had been prime minister for just over a month when he delivered the 36-minute speech before the House of Commons. Warning that England would soon face attack, he tried to inspire courage, justify confidence in victory, and define the noble causes that Britain was fighting for, which were what? More...

Today's Birthday

James Montgomery Flagg (1877) A prolific American artist and illustrator, Flagg designed 45 military posters during WWI, including the famous "I Want You" portrait of Uncle Sam. He studied abroad in England and Paris and, upon returning to New York, rapidly won a reputation as a technically skilled, versatile, and vivacious illustrator. Working in pen and ink, watercolor, and oils, he contributed to Judge, Life, St. Nicholas, and other magazines. On whose face did Flagg model his well-known Uncle Sam? More...

Quotation of the Day
Every woman is supposed to have the same set of motives, or else to be a monster. George Eliot (1819-1880)

Idiom of the Day
not a peep from/out of (someone) — Not a single word or sound from someone. More...

Today's Holiday

National Marbles Tournament (2024) Held for five days near the end of June in a Wildwood, New Jersey, the National Marbles Tournament features a competition among champions selected in elimination contests throughout the country. The national boy and girl champions each receive a trophy and a plaque as well as a $2,000 scholarship. Although many games can be played with marbles, the game played in the national tournament is called Ringer, in which 13 marbles (called "miggles") form a cross in a 10-foot circle. Players alternate shots, and the winner is the first one to shoot seven miggles out of the ring. More...