Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, October 21, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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rapturous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ConjugationConjugation refers to the way we inflect (change the form of) verbs to create particular meanings. What is grammatical tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Singapore FlyerAt 541 feet (165 m)—or 42 stories—high, the Singapore Flyer is the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. Described by its operators as an observation wheel, it was opened to the public in 2008. The wheel contains 28 enclosed capsules, each of which is capable of holding 28 passengers. A complete rotation of the wheel takes approximately 30 minutes. The wheel originally rotated in a counter-clockwise direction when viewed from the nearby Marina Centre, but its direction was later changed. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 HMAS Australia Is First Ship Ever Hit by Kamikaze Attack (1944)In Japanese, kamikaze means "divine wind," a reference to the typhoon that foiled the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1281. In World War II, the term was used for Japanese pilots who made deliberate suicidal crashes into enemy targets. Such attacks sank 34 ships and damaged hundreds, killing thousands. In the lead up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Australia became perhaps the first ship damaged by a kamikaze. How many kamikaze attacks did it survive? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ronald McNair (1950)A nationally recognized US physicist, accomplished saxophonist, and black belt in karate, McNair was selected to join NASA's astronaut training program in 1978. Six years later, aboard the space shuttle Challenger, he became the second African American in space. His next trip into orbit was to take place on the same shuttle on January 28, 1986, and McNair brought his sax along for the ride, intending to be the first to record an original piece of music in space. Why did this never happen? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is a maxim among these lawyers that whatever has been done before, may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice, and the general reason of mankind.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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catch a snooze— To sleep or take a nap, especially of a short duration. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Trafalgar Day (2023)This is the anniversary of the famous naval battle fought by the British off Cape Trafalgar, Spain, in 1805, under the command of Viscount Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). The victory over Napoleon's forces cost Lord Nelson his life and is commemorated by the column erected in his honor in London's Trafalgar Square. Ceremonies on Trafalgar Day, or Nelson Day, include a naval parade from London's Mall to Trafalgar Square, where a brief service is held and wreaths are placed at the foot of Nelson's Column. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: meteorastrobleme - A crater caused by a meteor. More... aerolithology - The study of meteors. More... meteorite - A meteor that survives and makes it to a planet; types of meteorites include siderites/irons, aerolites/stones, and siderolites (iron/stone). More... falling star - Another name for meteor or shooting star. More... | |