Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, October 27, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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poppycock
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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InfinitivesAn infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. It is "unmarked" (not conjugated for tense or person), and it is preceded by the particle "to." What is a split infinitive? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Messel PitOne of the most significant fossil sites in the world, the Messel Pit is a former shale quarry in Germany. About 47 million years ago during the Eocene Epoch, the area was home to a lake, and archaeologists hypothesize that it periodically released clouds of poisonous volcanic gases. Insects, fish, birds, and mammals that died there were preserved with incredible detail—down to fur and feathers—in the lake's sediment. Prehistoric versions of what modern animals have been found there? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Michael Servetus Is Burned at the Stake (1553)When his views were condemned by theologians of the Reformation as well as those of the Catholic Church, Servetus, a Spanish theologian, assumed a new name and began studying medicine. He became known for his ability in dissection and had unusual success as a physician, even serving—confidentially—the archbishop of Vienne. Arrested for the publication of a religious work, he escaped but was seized again, tried, and burned at the stake. He was the first European to make what medical discovery? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Niccolò Paganini (1782)An Italian violinist and composer whose virtuosity is the stuff of legend, Paganini was playing with an orchestra by the age of nine. By the time he reached adulthood, the renowned violinist had also earned a reputation as a shameless womanizer and inveterate gambler. The latter vice once even cost him his prized violin. Nevertheless, he had a profound influence on the evolution of violin technique. Why did the Catholic Church deny him burial in consecrated ground for years following his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 But there, everything has its drawbacks, as the man said when his mother-in-law died, and they came down upon him for the funeral expenses.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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golden goose— A person, thing, or organization that is or has the potential to earn a lot of money for a long period of time. Taken from a folk tale of a goose that would lay a golden egg once a day, but was killed by its owner because he wanted all of its gold at once. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Turkmenistan Independence Day (2023)This national holiday commemorates Turkmenistan's independence from the U.S.S.R. on October 27, 1991. Turkmenistan and other republics were gradually able to establish their own autonomous states due to the relaxation of Soviet rule influenced by the policy of perestroika. When the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, their independence was assured. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: observercamera lucida - An optical device consisting of an attachment that enables an observer to view simultaneously the image and a drawing surface for sketching it. More... horoscope - Comes from Greek hora, "hour, time," and skopos, "observer." More... obverse - Its first meaning was "turned towards or facing the observer." More... zenith, nadir - Zenith derived from Arabic samt ar-ras, "the way or road above one's head"; zenith technically is the point directly above the observer and nadir is the point directly below. More... | |