Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 12, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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erudition
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Independent ClausesAn independent clause (also known as a main clause) is a clause that forms a complete, independent thought. What is a simple sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Posie RingsPosie rings—also known as poesy or posy rings—were tokens of love in England made popular in Medieval times. Sometimes worn as wedding rings, they were engraved with short, often rhyming expressions of love, friendship, or fidelity. Thousands of French and English posie-ring sayings have been recorded over the years, including "in thee my choyce I do rejoice," "God above increase our love," and "let this present my good intent." What other sentimental inscriptions are found on surviving rings? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Russian Submarine K-141 Kursk Sinks in Barents Sea (2000)While completing naval exercises with dummy torpedoes on August 12, 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk suffered two explosions two minutes and 15 seconds apart. The second explosion registered about a 3.5 on the Richter scale. The blasts destroyed the front hull, and all 118 crew members died. It was initially believed that the entire crew died quickly. However, what evidence later suggested that some survived in another area of the submarine for about four hours after the explosions? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Cecil B. DeMille (1881)In 1913, DeMille joined Jesse Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn to form the forerunner of Paramount Communications. Their first venture, The Squaw Man (1914), was the first full-length feature film produced in Hollywood. DeMille, known for his flamboyance and his taste for huge casts and extravagant sets, went on to make numerous comedies before creating biblical spectacles such as 1923's The Ten Commandments. Which of DeMille's films won an Academy Award for best picture in 1952? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The sky was clear—remarkably clear—and the twinkling of all the stars seemed to be but throbs of one body, timed by a common pulse.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hand (something) to (someone) on a plate— To give or relinquish something to someone very easily, without him or her having to work very hard to get or achieve it. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Abbotsford International Air Show (2023)Widely recognized as Canada's national air show, this three-day event is an opportunity for the aviation industry to display the latest developments in civilian aircraft. Since the first show was held in 1962, it has included aerobatic performances by the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Air Force, the Snowbirds Jet Team and the US Air Force's Thunderbirds. There is also a large banquet featuring well-known personalities in the aviation and aerospace fields. The show is held at the airport in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and is regularly attended by upwards of 200,000 people. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: solidcholesterol - Comes from Greek words meaning "bile, gall" and "stiff, solid," plus the ending "-ol." More... hydrogenated oil - An oil with trans-fatty acids that has been chemically changed from a room-temperature liquid state into a solid. More... sublimate - In chemistry, to change from a solid to a gas or from a gas to a solid without becoming a liquid. More... solder, solid - To solder something is etymologically to make it solid; solid comes from Latin solidus, "solid, whole." More... | |