Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 13, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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ballyhoo
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Conditional SentencesConditional sentences are in the conditional mood, which is used for hypothetical scenarios that are dependent on a certain condition or conditions. What are the four "degrees" of conditionals? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 OcherAmong the earliest pigments used by mankind, ocher has a yellow-orange to orange color and is made of varying proportions of iron oxide and clay. The world's first known works of art, found in South Africa’s Blombos Cave and dated to 75,000 years ago, consist of ocher pieces engraved with abstract designs, and Cro-Magnon artists living about 10,000 to 40,000 years ago used ocher in their cave paintings. The 2nd-century BCE Egyptian Ebers Papyrus lists what non-artistic use for ocher? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Nanking Massacre (1937)Upon capturing the city of Nanking, which had been the Nationalist Chinese capital, Japanese forces under orders to destroy the city proceeded to kill and rape the Chinese residents on a mass scale. Tens of thousands were raped and between 100,000 and 300,000 are estimated to have been killed during the Nanking Massacre. The tense relations between the two nations into the 21st century is, in part, due to the brutality of Japanese troops during this time. What happened to those responsible? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Dick Van Dyke (1925)After appearing in television variety shows during the 1950s, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut and earned his first Tony Award starring in Bye, Bye Birdie. He won several Emmy Awards for the successful television comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show and also danced and sang in the films Mary Poppins and Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. Van Dyke appeared infrequently during the 80s but made a career comeback with what dramatic TV series that co-starred his son? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is impossible for good or evil to last for ever; and hence it follows that the evil having lasted long, the good must be now nigh at hand.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a hill of beans— Something of little or no importance, value, or worth. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Malta Republic Day (2023)On September 21, 1964, Malta was granted its independence from Britain. According to its constitution, Queen Elizabeth II would initially serve as the supreme leader of Malta. On December 13, 1974, Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth, with the President as head of state. To commemorate this day, December 13 has been declared Republic Day in Malta. A big feast is held and Malta's National Anthem is played or sung at the end of all masses. In addition, the President of Malta presents national awards, namely the Order of Merit and Gieh ir-Repubblika. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rustlingsoughing - A soft rustling or murmuring sound—like the deep sigh of a sleeping baby. More... frou-frou - From French for "a rustling." More... murmur - Comes from the Latin word for "rustling," and can mean "complain, grumble about." More... psithurism - The sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. More... | |