Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, October 18, 2017)Word of the Day | |||
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Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Common and Proper NounsCommon nouns identify general, nonspecific people, places, or things. A proper noun names someone or something that is one of a kind, which is signified by the use of what? More... |
Article of the Day | |
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The Basmachi RevoltBegun in 1916, the Basmachi Revolt was a largely Turkic uprising against Russian rule in Central Asia that developed into a lengthy civil war between the Soviets and the rebels, who were called Basmachi, or "bandits," a deliberately pejorative term. The Soviet strategy of simultaneously acceding to ethnic demands and ruthlessly pursuing the guerrillas successfully quelled the revolt by the 1930s. How did the Soviets counter British and Turkish aid to the Basmachi? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher Destroyed (1009 CE)The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City is venerated by most Christians as the site of Jesus' burial chamber and has been an important destination of pilgrimage since the 4th century. Its destruction in 1009 by caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is often viewed as a direct impetus for the Crusades, though the church was rebuilt prior to the Crusaders' arrival. The custodianship of the church is now grudgingly shared by several Churches. Who holds the key to the church's main entrance? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Pierre Trudeau (1919)As prime minister of Canada from 1968–79 and 1980–84, Trudeau advocated a strong federal government and took a determined stand against the Quebec separatist movement. Despite his opposition to Quebec's independence, he supported Canadian sovereignty and secured for the country a new constitution in 1982 that precipitated its official independence from Britain. He also had French adopted as an official state language. How did Trudeau figure into an alleged plot to assassinate Fidel Castro? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim. Jane Austen (1775-1817) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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put the wind up (someone)— To make someone very anxious, upset, or frightened. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Nagoya Festival (2023)An annual secular festival in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the Nagoya Festival was started by the city's merchants in 1955 to give thanks for their prosperity. It features a parade of about 700 participants depicting historical figures in period costume, among them Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the three feudal warlords who unified the country at the end of the 16th century. More... |
Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sailscrab-skuit - A small, open fishing boat with sails. More... haul - Originally had the nautical meaning of "to trim the sails to sail closer to the wind." More... sail - Once meant specifically "to travel on a ship with sails," and, later, "to travel on any ship"; figuratively, it means "to go through effortlessly," as in, "to sail through the exam." More... three sheets to the wind - Pertains to chains that regulate the angle of sails; if the sheets were loose, the boat would become unstable and tipsy. More... |