Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, August 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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avocation
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Cumulative AdjectivesWhen multiple adjectives are used in a sentence, they are sometimes separated by commas. What are "cumulative adjectives," and why aren't they separated by commas? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The DeipnosophistaeWritten in the 3rd-century by the Greek writer Athenaeus, the Deipnosophistae professes to be an account of three banquets held at the house of a scholar and wealthy patron of the arts. The work is invaluable for providing information about the Hellenistic leisure class of the Roman Empire, particularly in terms of food and sexuality. In the course of conversation, the banqueters quote about 700 authors, many of them otherwise unrecorded, and discuss the story behind what famous statue? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Cease-Fire Declared in Iran-Iraq War (1988)On September 22, 1980, Iraqi forces invaded Iran, which was still struggling in the aftermath of its revolution. The resulting war—ostensibly a territorial dispute—turned into a bloody stalemate that saw the first widespread use of chemical warfare since World War I. An estimated 1.5 million people were killed in the conflict. After nearly eight years, the United Nations mandated a cease-fire. Both sides held thousands of prisoners of war for years. When were the last prisoners exchanged? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Benjamin Harrison (1833)The grandson of a US president, Harrison practiced law in Indiana before leading a volunteer regiment in the Civil War. He made two unsuccessful bids for the Indiana governorship before gaining a seat in the US Senate. In the 1888 presidential election, he defeated incumbent US President Grover Cleveland, though Cleveland won the popular vote. His association with unpopular tariffs cost him an 1892 re-election and brought Cleveland back. Why did his children refuse to attend his second wedding? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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put food on the table— To earn enough money to provide the basic necessities for oneself and (often) one's family. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Estonia Restoration of Independence Day (2025)In the 20th century, Estonia was a sovereign state from 1919 to 1940. At that time, it was forced to become a socialist republic of the Soviet Union. Then, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and on August 20 of that year, Estonia formally re-established its independence. Throughout 2008, the country celebrated its 90th anniversary as a republic. This is one of three days on which the national flag must be hoisted on state buildings, along with Victory Day (June 23) and Independence Day (February 24). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pie | |