Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lectern
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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SentencesA sentence, whether short or long, must express a complete idea; and a complete sentence must consist of at least one independent clause. What is a simple sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Portrait of Madame XAmerican painter John Singer Sargent, at one time the world's most famous and highly paid portrait painter, is best known for his portraits of American and English social celebrities. In 1884, before he had achieved acclaim, a scandal erupted when he exhibited Portrait of Madame X in Paris. In it, socialite Madame Gautreau is shown wearing a low-cut gown that critics deemed erotic. Paris was offended, Gautreau refused the painting, and Sargent moved to London. Where is the painting today? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Peru and Chile Sign Treaty of Ancón (1883)The Treaty of Ancón ended Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific, which broke out between Chile and the joint forces of Bolivia and Peru in 1879. Victorious, Chile annexed the Peruvian province of Tarapacá and gained substantial mineral-rich territories, leaving Bolivia without access to the sea. The loss of the coast remains an emotional issue for many Bolivians, who attribute their country's problems to being landlocked. What items stolen during the war did Chile return to Peru in 2007? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Christopher Wren (1632)Though now known as the greatest architect of the English baroque style, Wren was first a celebrated astronomer and mathematician who was one of the founders of the Royal Society. His architectural career began in 1661 when King Charles II appointed him assistant to the royal architect. Wren went on to help rebuild more than 50 churches destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. He also designed Saint Paul's Cathedral, where he is buried. What famous epitaph appears on Wren's burial marker? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give way to the reception of more general opinions.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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high note— The most successful, impressive, or climactic point (of something). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Guatemala Revolution Day (2023)On October 20, 1944, university students and military leaders aligned to overthrow the dictator Jorge Ubico. Guatemalans fondly remember the replacement government and its executive leader, Juan José Arévalo, who implemented a series of successful labor and agrarian reforms. Music and fireworks mark the day's lively celebrations, the grandest of which are held in the Plaza Mayor in Guatemala City. It is also common on this day for activists to exercise their free speech, a human right that Arévalo championed. Some protests draw thousands of people and extend into the next day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tossfungo - A baseball drill in which a batter tosses a ball in the air and hits it as it descends, probably from Scottish fung, "to pitch, toss, fling." More... jactitating, jactitation, jactation - If you toss and turn at night, you are jactitating; jactitation or jactation is restless tossing or twitching. More... saute - A form of French sauter, it means "to leap or cause to toss." More... walk - First meant "roll," "toss," or "move about; go"—from Old English wealcan, "to roll." More... | |