Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 23, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Coordinating ConjunctionsCoordinating conjunctions are used to join two or more words, phrases, or independent clauses. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English, which can be remembered using what acronym? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Clifford IrvingIn 1970, American writer Clifford Irving hatched a scheme to create an "authorized autobiography" of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes—without his knowledge. Irving believed the reclusive Hughes would never draw attention to himself by denouncing the book. After producing forged letters, Irving obtained a contract and an advance from his publisher. He delivered a manuscript in 1971, but Hughes finally contacted the outside world in 1972 and revealed the book as a hoax. What happened to Irving? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Dr. Crippen Hanged for Wife's Murder (1910)More than 100 years after Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged for the alleged murder, dismemberment, and basement burial of his second wife, the controversial case continues to captivate. The case is compelling not only because it is so gruesome but also because Crippen became an international fugitive, fleeing with his lover aboard a Canada-bound ocean liner, and was the first criminal apprehended with the help of radiotelegraphy. What new evidence has called Crippen's guilt into question? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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_01.jpg) Alfonso the Wise, King of Castile and León (1221)Alfonso X, son and successor of Ferdinand III, sought to become Holy Roman Emperor but eventually renounced his claim due to Spanish antagonism and papal opposition. He crushed revolts by Muslims in 1252 and nobles in 1254, but once his eldest son was killed while fighting the Moors in 1275, civil war for succession broke out between Ferdinand's children and Alfonso's second son, who succeeded him as Sancho IV. Why is Alfonso depicted in the House of Representatives chamber of the US Capitol? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be had up (for something)— To be indicted, arrested, and/or tried (for a crime). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Repudiation Day (2023)The Stamp Act of 1765 forced the American colonies to pay a tax on various official documents and publications, such as legal papers, liquor permits, lawyers' licenses, and school diplomas. In defiance of the new law, the court of Frederick County, Maryland, declared that it would carry on its business without the tax stamps required by the Act. The date on which the Stamp Act was repudiated, November 23, has been observed for many years as a half-holiday in Frederick County to commemorate this courageous act. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: treasurehamper - A food basket for a picnic, it is a phonetic reduction of the word hanaper, "plate basket," or "repository for treasure." More... garrison - At first, it meant "store, treasure." More... treasure - Based on Greek thesauros. More... treasure trove - From French, literally meaning "found treasure." More... | |