Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
ethereal Definition: (adjective) Characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy. Synonyms: gossamer Usage: The birdwatchers longed to see the smallest and most ethereal of birds but found only a family of common pigeons.

Article of the Day

Bodie, California: A Preserved Ghost Town Once boasting a population of nearly 10,000 during a mining boom in the late 1800s, Bodie, California, is now an authentic Wild West ghost town. Visitors can walk the deserted streets to see the remnants of a town whose mines produced more than $34 million worth of gold. That success brought to Bodie the amenities of larger towns, including a railroad, banks, a brass band, and a jail. What type of business had 65 different locations along Bodie's main street at the peak of the city's popularity? 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
As to people saying a few idle words about us, we must not mind that, any more than the old church-steeple minds the rooks cawing about it. George Eliot (1819-1880)

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...