Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 30, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
anachronistic
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Modal Auxiliary Verbs - ShallThe modal auxiliary verb "shall" is used in many of the same ways as "will," including to form future tenses and to make requests or offers. Generally, "shall" is only used with what subject pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Underground RailroadThis informal network of safe houses and transport facilities was established by 19th century US abolitionists in the northern states prior to the Civil War. Volunteers, or “conductors,” offered sanctuary and assistance to escaped African-American slaves and helped lead the slaves to safety in the North. Conductors on the railroad included escaped slaves like Harriet Tubman, who is credited with having led more than 300 slaves to freedom. Who was the “Father of the Underground Railroad”? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Peace of Münster Signed Between the United Netherlands and Spain (1648)In 1581, several years after the seven northern Netherlands provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, Overijssel, Friesland, and Groningen formed the Union of Utrecht, they declared independence from Spain. Decades of conflict followed. When the Peace of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years' War was reached in 1648, it included the Peace of Münster, a treaty between Spain and the United Netherlands that ended the Dutch Revolt. Where can an original copy of the Peace of Münster be found? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) Vanessa Redgrave (1937)Redgrave is a British actress noted for her versatility and elegant presence. The daughter of actor Michael Redgrave, she made her London stage debut in 1958 and won praise as Rosalind in As You Like It. She went on to become a powerful film actress, earning critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Blow-Up and Julia, for which she won an Oscar. She has also earned Emmy, Tony, Cannes, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild awards but declined what honor in 1999? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 It is not from nature, but from education and habits, that our wants are chiefly derived.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
heavy-footed— Clumsy, ponderous, or lumbering in gait or tread. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Birthday (2024)Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the 32nd president of the United States. His administration encompassed the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt's birthday is observed by family members, friends, and representatives of various organizations at his home at Hyde Park, New York. Wreaths are laid, and a family member places cut flowers on the grave. The superintendent of the military academy presents the "President's Wreath," a prayer is offered, and the event concludes with three volleys from a ceremonial firing squad. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: spikepricket - A candlestick with a spike for holding up the candle (or the spike itself). More... barb - As any type of spike or projection, it is based on Latin barba, "beard"; it is also a piece of vertically pleated linen worn over or under the chin, as by nuns. More... brad - A small or thin wire nail, it is from Old Norse broddr, "spike." More... spike - Probably borrowed from Dutch spiker, "long sharp piece." More... | |