Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, May 7, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Comparative Adverbs in Affirmative StatementsIn affirmative statements, we can use comparative adverbs to describe change or differences between two things within one sentence. What word is used after the comparative adverb in such a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Deadly Yellow RiverStretching 3,395 miles (5,464 km), the Yellow River, or Huang He, is the world's sixth longest river. Called the "the cradle of Chinese civilization" because its basin is the birthplace of the northern Chinese civilizations, the oft-flooding river has also earned the nickname "China's Sorrow." Its floods—more than 1,500 in the last 3 to 4 millennia—have caused some of the deadliest natural disasters in human history and claimed millions of lives. How was the river once used as a weapon of war? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 World War II: Germany Signs Unconditional Surrender (1945)By the beginning of 1944, air warfare had turned overwhelmingly in favor of the Allies, who wrought unprecedented destruction on many German cities and on transport and industries throughout German-held Europe. German collapse came after the meeting of the Western and Russian armies at Torgau in Saxony, and after Hitler's death amid the ruins of Berlin, which was falling to the Russians. The unconditional surrender of Germany was signed at Reims on May 7. When did it take effect? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840)A towering figure in Russian music and one of the most popular composers in history, Tchaikovsky became interested in music as a child and turned to serious composition at 14. His works are noted for their expressive melodies, and he is said to have revolutionized ballet by transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into a staged musical drama. His ballets include Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. What Russian businesswoman supported him for 13 years but—as a rule—never met him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Misfortune, n.: The kind of fortune that never misses.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
a kick at the can— An opportunity to do, try, or achieve something. Primarily heard in Canada. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Festa di San Nicola (2024)The Festa di San Nicola (Festival of St. Nicholas) is celebrated in Italy on the anniversary of the transfer of the saint's relics by a group of 11th-century sailors from Bari. Thousands of pilgrims come to the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, Puglia, to worship at the saint's tomb and to ask for his help. There is a procession on this day in which a group of Barese sailors take the saint's image down to the water, where it is placed on a flower-decked boat and taken out to sea. At night the statue is returned to its place of honor on the altar of San Nicola's crypt. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: whistle | |