Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 29, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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quixotic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Imperative SentencesWe use imperative sentences to give orders, commands, and general instructions. Such sentences are said to be in the Imperative Mood. What happens to the subject in an imperative sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Crown-of-Thorns StarfishCrown-of-thorns starfish are found on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. These echinoderms, which can grow as large as 15.75 inches (40 cm) in diameter, are covered with thorny spines that release a neurotoxin capable of causing pain, nausea, and swelling in humans. They are voracious predators and are partly responsible for the destruction of coral reefs; a crown-of-thorns can consume as much as six square meters of reef annually. What sea creatures prey on these starfish? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Bear River Massacre (1863)The Bear River Massacre took place in 1863 when the US Army attacked Shoshone gathered at the confluence of the Bear River and Beaver Creek in what is now Idaho. The incident began when Colonel Patrick Edward Connor led a detachment of approximately 200 US Army soldiers as part of the an expedition against Shoshone Chief Bear Hunter, who had strongly resisted colonization of tribal areas. Some 250 Shoshone were killed in the attack, including Bear Hunter. What became of Connor? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860)Chekhov was a Russian short-story writer, dramatist, and physician who earned enduring international acclaim for his stories and plays. His early works were broad humorous sketches and tales published under a pseudonym, written to support himself and his family while he studied for his medical degree in Moscow. His first full-length play, Ivanov, was produced while he was practicing as a doctor. Why was a statue of Chekhov in the town of Tomsk modeled on the perspective of a drunkard? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Earth has its boundaries, but human stupidity is limitless.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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with a heavy hand— In an excessive, authoritarian, or oppressive way or manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Thomas Paine Day (2024)Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was a propagandist and humanitarian whose influential pamphlet, Common Sense, is credited with persuading the American colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain. On January 29, Paine's birthday, he is honored by members of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association in New Rochelle, New York. They lay a wreath at his monument in the Thomas Paine Memorial Museum, which houses some of his letters and personal effects. The cottage in which Paine lived is only a short walk away. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leadercoryphaeus - A Greek word meaning "chief," for the leader of a party, sect, school of thought, etc. More... herald - Etymologically, a "leader of an army," from Germanic kharjaz, "army." More... hegemon - A Greek word for "leader." More... nestorian, nestor - Nestorian means wise and aged, and a nestor is a senior figure or leader in one's field. More... | |