Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 5, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
slicker
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Defining Grammatical TenseGrammatical tense refers to the conjugation of a verb to reflect its place in time—that is, when the action occurred. Verbs in their basic form inherently describe the present time, and they can be conjugated into a unique form that describes the past. What can we then use to create different aspects of the past and present tenses? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Box JellyfishFound in waters near Hawaii, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and many other tropical areas, box jellyfish are named for their somewhat cube-shaped bodies but are best known for the extremely powerful venom possessed by some of their species, including Chironex fleckeri and Carukia barnesi, two of the most venomous creatures in the animal kingdom. Stings from such species are excruciatingly painful and often fatal. What animal eats box jellyfish and is unaffected by the venom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 First American in Space (1961)In 1961, 23 days after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to be launched into space. Shepard's suborbital flight—part of the US space program Project Mercury—reached a height of 115 miles (185 km). He performed several maneuvers of his capsule, Freedom 7, but returned after only a 15-minute flight. Although Gagarin was the first human in space, Shepard was the first to return in what way? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Eugénia María de Montijo de Guzmán (1826)The daughter of a Spanish noble, Eugénia married Napoleon III in 1853 and became the empress of France. She took an active role in the politics of the Second Empire, acting as regent when her husband was at war. She also encouraged French opposition to a Prussian candidate for the Spanish throne in the controversy that precipitated the Franco-Prussian War. Deposed after Napoleon's defeat and capture, she fled and settled in England. Why was her marriage to Napoleon controversial? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 You will hear people say that poverty is the best spur to the artist. They have never felt the iron of it in their flesh. They do not know how mean it makes you. It exposes you to endless humiliation, it cuts your wings, it eats into your soul like a cancer.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
a kernel of truth— A singular element of truth or wisdom within a greater story, narrative, speech, or claim, especially when most or all other elements are fictitious or of questionable veracity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Thailand Coronation Day (2024)On May 5, 1950, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned Rama IX of Thailand, the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty. Ever since, the day has been celebrated as Coronation Day in Thailand. On May 4th, the Chief of Brahmin priests reads out the official proclamation of Coronation Day. On May 5, the Buddhist monks are given a feast and the king wears his full regalia. At noon, the Royal Thai Army and Navy each give a 21-gun salute. Later in the day, the king awards medals and decorations to those citizens who have done outstanding services for the state. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: strivecompete - Comes from Latin competere, "come together," but in later Latin, it developed the sense "strive together," which was the basis for the English term. More... repugn, repugnant - Repugn means "to strive against" or "be contradictory or inconsistent," giving us repugnant. More... strive - Seems to be from Old French estriver, "quarrel, strive." More... win - Its Germanic base gave it its first meaning, "to labor, strive, work." More... | |