Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
recompense Definition: (verb) To award compensation for; make a return for. Synonyms: compensate, indemnify, repair Usage: I wish to recompense you for the time and money that you spent while helping my sister find her lost dog.

Article of the Day

The Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals, through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer one and not be scratched by it. While the varying hardness of stones was likely first explored around 300 BCE, German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs devised his scale in 1812. It uses 10 standards ranging from talc, the softest, with a value of 1, to diamond, the hardest, with a value of 10. Where does a fingernail fall on the Mohs scale? More...

This Day in History

American Colonies Declare Independence (1776) On June 11, 1776, one year into the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson and other delegates of the Continental Congress began drafting a formal declaration of their intent to form a new nation. Their final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congress on July 4, a date that would become a national holiday. Most of the congressional delegates signed it that August. Why did John Adams predict that July 2nd—not the 4th—would be considered the greatest day in US history? More...

Today's Birthday

Calvin Coolidge (1872) In 1920, Coolidge was elected vice president of the US under Warren G. Harding, who died in 1923—making Coolidge president. Untouched by the scandals of the Harding administration, Coolidge was directly elected president in 1924. He was a popular and deliberately hands-off leader, and though he was an effective public speaker, he was a man of few words when out of the spotlight. Upon hearing that "Silent Cal" had died in 1933, writer Dorothy Parker is said to have delivered what famous remark? More...

Quotation of the Day
The value of a dollar is social, as it is created by society. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Idiom of the Day
on the down low — In a state of secrecy or minimal public knowledge; being known only by a select few people. More...

Today's Holiday

Fourth of July (2024) In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock, the president of the Congress, was the first to sign the document. As the most important national holiday in the U.S., Independence Day, often called the Fourth of July, is traditionally celebrated with fireworks displays, family picnics, parades, band concerts, and patriotic speeches. It is observed throughout the United States and U.S. territories. More...