Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 8, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Indefinite Adjectives vs. Indefinite PronounsSome indefinite pronouns can also function as indefinite adjectives if they come immediately before a noun that they serve to modify. If you're trying to determine if a word is an indefinite pronoun, what can you check in the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Martian TerraformingSince the concept of terraforming—making a planet's environment suitable for human habitation—was first proposed, Mars has been one of the primary hypothetical candidates for its application. Although Mars may have had a relatively earthlike environment early in its history, experts disagree on whether present-day Mars can be adapted to support human life. Terraforming Mars would require at least two major changes: building up the atmosphere and heating it. How could such changes be achieved? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Iceland's Laki Volcano Begins 9-Month-Long Eruption (1783)In 934, an eruption of Iceland's Laki volcanic fissure released 4.7 cu mi (19.6 cu km) of basalt lava, one of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth in historical times. In 1783, the system erupted again, pouring out an estimated 3.4 cu mi (14 cu km) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous compounds that killed over half of Iceland's livestock and led to a famine that killed approximately a quarter of its human population. How did Laki's eruption help trigger the French Revolution? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Suharto (1921)Suharto was a relatively unknown army chief in 1965, when he crushed an alleged coup with a ruthless purge of communists and leftists throughout Indonesia that left as many as 1,000,000 dead. In 1967, he replaced the deposed Sukarno as president. He oversaw a return to economic stability and led the violent 1975 invasion of East Timor, which Indonesia soon annexed. Greatly unpopular after the economic unrest of the 1990s, Suharto resigned in 1998. Why was he placed under house arrest in 2000? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
go soft— To become overly lenient, easily manipulated, or apathetic; to lose strength or determination. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Holland Festival (2023)In 1947, the Netherlands decided to have a single festival focused on three major cities—Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the Hague—that would cover a wide range of artistic and cultural activities and at the same time draw top international artists to the Netherlands. The Holland Festival is centered in Amsterdam and lasts 23 days in June with nearly 150 programs. The festival offers not only performances of orchestral and choral works but opera, ballet, contemporary music, dance, theater, and film as well. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: helmetcrest - From Latin crista, "plume, tuft," it first referred to the erect feathers of a plume on a helmet or headdress. More... panache - Can be a tuft or plume of feathers on a headdress or helmet. More... coif, coiffure, coiffeur - Coif, coiffure, and coiffeur (hairdo, hairstyle) derive from Latin cofia, "helmet." More... galeated - Means "shaped like a helmet" or "wearing a helmet." More... | |