Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 11, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Parentheses with Minor SentencesIt's not uncommon for words and sentence fragments to be used as complete sentences (known as "minor sentences" or "irregular sentences") within parentheses outside of the regular sentence. Why is this often done? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Eye of ProvidenceOften interpreted as the eye of God watching over man, the Eye of Providence depicts an eye enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light. Found on the back of the US one-dollar bill, the Eye was adopted as part of the country's Great Seal in 1782. While the symbol in its modern form emerged in the West in the 17th and 18th centuries, representations of an all-seeing eye existed in ancient Egypt. Conspiracy theorists trace the Eye's inclusion in the Great Seal to its use by what group? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Great Blizzard of '88 Begins (1888)The Great Blizzard of '88 was one of the most severe blizzards in US history. Snowfalls of 40 to 50 in (102 to 127 cm) fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and snowdrifts exceeded 50 ft (15 m) in some places. Railroads were shut down, and people were confined to their houses for up to a week. More than 400 people died from the storm and the ensuing cold, including 200 in New York City alone. What infrastructure changes were made in the aftermath of the storm? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Marius Ivanovich Petipa (1822)The principal creator of the modern classical ballet, Petipa was a French-born Russian dancer and choreographer. He received early training from his ballet-master father and was a dancer in France, Belgium, and Spain before joining the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, where he created several ballets and became chief choreographer in 1869. By his retirement in 1903, he had produced more than 60 ballets for the imperial theatres in St. Petersburg and Moscow, including what performances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There lies at the back of every creed something terrible and hard for which the worshiper may one day be required to suffer.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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I take it— I imagine this is the case; I presume it to be true (that); it is my understanding (that). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Moshoeshoe's Day (2024)Moshoeshoe (c. 1790-1870) was a leader in South Africa who organized a group of tribes to fight the Zulu warlord Shaka. He called his followers the Basotho people, and although they succeeded in fending off the Zulu, they were drawn into war with Europeans who started settling their territory. In 1966, the Basotho nation became the independent kingdom of Lesotho within the British Commonwealth. The Basotho people honor their founder on this day with a wreath-laying ceremony in the capital city of Maseru, along with sporting events and traditional music and dancing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: saddleapishamore - A blanket used under a saddle. More... col - A saddle between two mountain peaks, from Latin collum, "neck." More... caparison - A cloth or covering spread over the saddle or harness of a horse, often ornamented; this word can also mean "housings, trappings." More... larigos - The rings on a saddle through which the straps pass. More... | |