Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, April 18, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dichotomy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Past Simple TenseThe past simple tense (also called the "simple past tense," or simply the "past simple") is used to express completed actions. We often use the past simple with an adverb or adverbial phrase that specifies what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Aloe VeraAloe vera is just one of hundreds of species of aloe plant native to the drier parts of Africa, but it is perhaps the best known thanks to its purported medicinal properties. The mucilaginous gel obtained from the leaves of the Aloe vera plant is widely used to help treat burns and dry skin conditions and has also been used internally as a stimulant laxative. Still, the literature is mixed on the effectiveness and safety of these extracts. What health problems might they cause? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Construction of St. Peter's Basilica Begins (1506)With a capacity of over 60,000 people, St. Peter's Basilica is the one of the world's largest churches as well as one of the world's holiest Catholic sites. Begun by Pope Julius II in 1506 and completed more than a century later, it was built to replace Old St. Peter's, erected by Constantine over Peter's traditional burial site. Michelangelo and Bernini were among its many architects, and a number of their masterpieces adorn its interior. Why is St. Peter's not considered a cathedral? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Clarence Darrow (1857)Darrow was an American lawyer and a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union. He worked to free anarchists charged with murder in the Haymarket Riot, and his defense of Eugene V. Debs established his reputation as a union lawyer. Later came sensational criminal cases that displayed his eminence as a defense lawyer, especially the Loeb-Leopold murder case. Perhaps his most famous case was the Scopes trial, in which he defended a high school teacher who was charged with what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 And of all plagues with which mankind are curst, Ecclesiastic tyranny's the worst.Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in hospital— Receiving medical or surgical treatment, care, or attention at a hospital. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Zimbabwe Independence Day (2024)Like much of Africa, the area that is now Zimbabwe was long controlled by Europeans. In 1922, the 34,000 European settlers chose to become a self-governing British colony, Southern Rhodesia. In 1923, Southern Rhodesia was annexed by the British Crown. A fight for independence took place in the 1970s. An independent constitution was written for Zimbabwe in London in 1979, and independence followed on April 18, 1980. Independence Day is celebrated in every city and district of the nation with political rallies, parades, traditional dances, singing, and fireworks. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stimulateaperitif, appetizer - An aperitif is a drink to stimulate the appetite and an appetizer is a food that does this before a meal. More... condiment - From Latin condimentum, from condire, "to pickle, preserve"; condiments are food substances used to heighten the natural flavor of foods, to stimulate the appetite, to aid digestion, or preserve certain foods. More... innervate, enervate - Innervate means "to stimulate or give nervous energy," the opposite of enervate. More... stimulate - From Latin stimulus, "pointed stick for goading animals." More... | |