Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 18, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ArticlesArticles identify whether a noun is definite (specific or particular) or indefinite (general or unspecific). What are the three articles? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RadiolariansRadiolarians are a highly diverse group of marine protozoa widely recognized for their intricately ornate mineral skeletons. Part of the plankton community, radiolarians have a fossil record that extends back to the early Paleozoic era. Because they have undergone continuous evolutionary change, they are often used to analyze the layers of the marine sedimentary record. What German biologist produced exquisite drawings of radiolarians that helped to popularize them among Victorian microscopists? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George Washington Lays Cornerstone of US Capitol (1793)The US Capitol is the seat of the legislative branch of government in Washington, DC. The city's dominating monument, it was built on an elevated site chosen by George Washington in consultation with architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The building was begun in 1793, after the president set the cornerstone during a groundbreaking ceremony that included Masonic rites. As it stands now, the building is the result of the work of several architects. When was the imposing dome added to the Capitol? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jean Bernard Léon Foucault (1819)Foucault, a French physicist, invented the Foucault pendulum and used it to provide experimental proof that the Earth rotates on its axis. He improved astronomical instruments, especially the telescope, and with Armand Fizeau took the first clear photograph of the Sun. Foucault is also known for determining the speed of light with extreme accuracy and showing that light travels slower in water than in air. He had originally studied medicine but abandoned it for physics due to a fear of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing.Edith Wharton (1862-1937) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a thing for (something)— To have a very keen or particular interest in something; to really like or enjoy something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Warsaw Autumn Festival (2023)Officially called the International Festival of Contemporary Music, the Warsaw Autumn Festival's offerings in its early years were more conservative than the name would seem to indicate. Today more experimental music and world premieres are performed along with classical standbys of the 20th century. It was established in 1956 by a group of Polish composers who wanted to bring other East European as well as West European countries together. The concerts are held in the National Philharmonic building, the Royal Castle, and other venues around the city. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vowdrawing the nail - Means absolving oneself of a vow. More... vum - To swear or vow. More... votal - Means "associated with or having the nature of a vow." More... vote - From Latin votum, "vow, wish," which was its original meaning in English. The word had a number of meanings—now obsolete—before it took on the sense (in the 15th century) of "a formal expression of one's opinion or approval or disapproval of a matter, especially a candidate, motion, or proposal." More... | |