Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, June 30, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Adverbs Ending in "-ly"Many adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" to the end of an adjective. If an adverb has been created according to this pattern, we simply use the words "most" or "least" to make the superlative degree. What words are added to adverbs ending in "-ly" to create the comparative degree? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Hermetic Order of the Golden DawnPossibly the greatest influence on 20th-century Western occultism, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical society founded by Freemasons in the late 1800s. The original order followed the curriculum set forth in the Cipher Manuscripts, blending elements of various esoteric traditions including Christian mysticism, Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy. Its concepts of magic and ritual were adopted by many other traditions, including Wicca. Who were some of the order's most famous members? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Mysterious Beast of Gévaudan Kills Its First Victim (1764)From 1764 to 1767, the people of Gévaudan, France, reported dozens of sightings of a man-eating, wolf-like creature now known as the Beast of From 1764 to 1767, the people of Gévaudan, France, reported dozens of sightings of a man-eating, wolf-like creature now known as the Beast of Gévaudan. According to many accounts, the beast—consistently described as having large teeth and an immense tail—killed some 100 people, prompting King Louis XV to send hunters to slay it. Some stories say a local hunter shot the beast, possibly with silver bullets. According to one theory, what exotic-but-real creature may have been behind the attacks? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Michael Phelps (1985)Phelps is an American swimmer who has won 16 Olympic medals, 14 of them gold. He started swimming as a child and competed in his first Olympics at 15. A year later, he became the youngest male ever to set a world swimming record, doing so in the 200-meter butterfly. In 2008, he set a record for most gold medals won at a single Olympiad—eight—while setting as many swimming records. Which swimmer voiced doubts about Phelps' ability to break the record but was happy to be proven wrong? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 How long the dawn seems coming when we cannot sleep!Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
be on (the) air— To be broadcasting live, as on television or radio. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
_to_Puerto_San_Jo.jpg) Guatemala Army Day (2025)Guatemala's Liberal Revolution, which called for the end of the dictatorship of Vicente Cerna, culminated with a revolt in Guatemala City on June 30, 1871. Originally known as Revolution Day, the anniversary of the revolt became Día del Ejército (Army Day), an official holiday recognizing the service of the armed forces. It has been marked over the years by annual parades, usually in Guatemala City. In 2007, protests against the parade spawned violence in the streets, and the ongoing resistance compelled the government to cancel the official parade the following year. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: lawsautonomy - From Greek autos, "self," and nomos, "law," i.e. a person or unit that makes its own laws. More... blue sky laws - Laws protecting the public from securities fraud. More... code, codex - Code, from Latin codex, meaning "block of wood split into tablets, document written on wood tablets," was first a set of laws. More... constitute, constitution - Constitute can mean "make laws" and a constitution is a "how-to" document for a government or organization. More... | |