Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 26, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
unfurl
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Modal Auxiliary Verbs - CouldThe modal verb "could" is most often used as a past-tense version of "can," indicating what someone or something was able to do in the past. "Could" can be used in what types of conditional sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Naked-Eye PlanetsThe naked-eye planets are the five planets in our solar system that can be observed without any optical aid: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The five planets closest to Earth, they were the only ones known to the ancients before the development of the telescope. Grouped together with the Sun and the Moon, they form what some cultures call the seven heavenly objects. Ancient cultures' knowledge of the heavens can be seen in the word "planet," which comes from a Greek term meaning what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 First Kwanzaa Celebrated (1966)Observed from December 26 to January 1 and patterned after African harvest festivals, Kwanzaa is a secular festival celebrating the African heritage of African Americans. Developed by black-studies professor Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa emphasizes the role of the family and community in African-American culture. Each day is dedicated to a particular principle—such as unity, creativity, or faith. The holiday's name is taken from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanzaa, which means what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780)Somerville became an accomplished science writer at a time when women's involvement in the sciences was generally discouraged. She earned widespread recognition for her 1831 translation of Pierre-Simon Laplace's five-volume Mécanique Céleste (Celestial Mechanics), a project she undertook for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, which aimed to adapt scientific material for the rapidly expanding reading public. What term was coined in a review of one of her other works? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the third is useless.Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
hold the reins— To have or be in control, especially of a group, project, or situation. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Fiesta de Sumamao (2023)The Argentine ritual drama known as sumamao ("beautiful river") is named after the location in which it is traditionally performed—near the Rio Dulce. On San Esteban's (St. Stephen's) Day, December 26, an avenue of arcos, or arches, tied together by cords hung with ichas (cakes in the form of puppets), leads up to the altar. The drama begins at dawn with trumpets and fireworks, followed by a slow procession through the arches. The rest of the drama unfolds throughout the day, culminating in the demolition of the arcos and the eating of the ichas. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: presencehoodoo - A person who practices voodoo; the word also describes a person or thing whose presence is supposed to bring bad luck. More... al fresco - Implies the presence of some nearby structure (one does not hike al fresco). More... pyrosis - Heartburn is actually pyrosis, caused by the presence of gastric secretions, called reflux, in the lower esophagus. More... evince - To indicate, to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling. More... | |