Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, January 29, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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calcareous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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End Punctuation with Quotation MarksIf a quoted sentence ends in a question mark or exclamation point that belongs to the quotation, it will appear within the quotation marks. If the question mark or exclamation point belongs to the overall sentence (that is, it isn't actually part of the quotation), where will it appear? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AntichessAlso known as suicide chess or loser's chess, antichess is a variation on the traditional game, but one in which the objective is to get all of one's own pieces captured. Participants are compelled to capture an opponent's pieces whenever the opportunity arises, while earnestly attempting to maneuver their own pieces into hopelessly vulnerable positions. There is no check or checkmate. A player wins by losing all of their pieces, including the king. How can a stalemate be resolved? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Bear River Massacre (1863)The Bear River Massacre took place in 1863 when the US Army attacked Shoshone gathered at the confluence of the Bear River and Beaver Creek in what is now Idaho. The incident began when Colonel Patrick Edward Connor led a detachment of approximately 200 US Army soldiers as part of the an expedition against Shoshone Chief Bear Hunter, who had strongly resisted colonization of tribal areas. Some 250 Shoshone were killed in the attack, including Bear Hunter. What became of Connor? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860)Chekhov was a Russian short-story writer, dramatist, and physician who earned enduring international acclaim for his stories and plays. His early works were broad humorous sketches and tales published under a pseudonym, written to support himself and his family while he studied for his medical degree in Moscow. His first full-length play, Ivanov, was produced while he was practicing as a doctor. Why was a statue of Chekhov in the town of Tomsk modeled on the perspective of a drunkard? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If you can get nothing better out of the world, get a good dinner out of it, at least.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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with a heavy hand— In an excessive, authoritarian, or oppressive way or manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Thomas Paine Day (2024)Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was a propagandist and humanitarian whose influential pamphlet, Common Sense, is credited with persuading the American colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain. On January 29, Paine's birthday, he is honored by members of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association in New Rochelle, New York. They lay a wreath at his monument in the Thomas Paine Memorial Museum, which houses some of his letters and personal effects. The cottage in which Paine lived is only a short walk away. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leadercoryphaeus - A Greek word meaning "chief," for the leader of a party, sect, school of thought, etc. More... herald - Etymologically, a "leader of an army," from Germanic kharjaz, "army." More... hegemon - A Greek word for "leader." More... nestorian, nestor - Nestorian means wise and aged, and a nestor is a senior figure or leader in one's field. More... | |