Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 12, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acumen
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Reporting VerbsIn reported speech, we use reporting verbs to introduce the information that was spoken previously. The most common so-called "reporting verbs" are "say" and "tell." When we use "tell," what else do we need to use? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 St. IsidoreIn the 4th and 5th centuries, Gothic invaders terrorized the Roman Empire, sacking Rome and establishing a Gothic kingdom in Spain. St. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, set out to convert the various peoples of the Gothic Empire to Christianity, eventually eradicating the Visigoths’ religion of Arianism. Later hailed by the Church as "the most learned man of the latter ages," Isidore was the first Christian writer to compose a compendium of universal religious knowledge. What was it called? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Medal of Honor Authorized by US Congress (1862)The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the US. It is presented by the president for "gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of…life above and beyond the call of duty" while engaged in an action against an enemy. Members of all branches of the US military are eligible to receive the medal, but each branch has its own special design. The Philadelphia Mint designed the medal, which was first awarded during the Civil War. How many soldiers have received the medal twice? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Oscar Hammerstein II (1895)The grandson of an opera impresario of the same name, Hammerstein studied law before beginning the theater career that made him one of the foremost songwriters in the US. In the early 1940s, he began a prolific and successful collaboration with Richard Rodgers that resulted in plays like The King and I, The Sound of Music, and the Pulitzer Prize winners Oklahoma! and South Pacific. How did New York City honor Hammerstein following his death in August 1960? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Unless wicked ideas take root in a naturally depraved mind, human nature, in a right and wholesome state, revolts at crime. Still, from an artificial civilization have originated wants, vices, and false tastes, which occasionally become so powerful as to ... lead us into guilt and wickedness.Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
(one's) blood runs cold— One becomes seized by an acute and intense sensation of fear, panic, horror, or dread. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Kiribati Independence Day (2025)This island group in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was known as the Gilbert Islands until its independence from Britain on July 12, 1979. Independence Day is observed as a national holiday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: potterycraze - First a crack or flaw; to craze is to produce minute cracks on the surface of pottery. More... fictile - An adjective meaning "pertaining to pottery" or "suitable for making pottery." More... ceramic, earthenware - Pottery made from clay is called ceramic or earthenware. More... slip - As in pottery, it derives from Norwegian slip/slipa, "slime on fish." More... | |