Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, June 12, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unflinching
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositions of TimeA preposition of time describes when or for how long something occurred or will occur. What are the three most common prepositions of time? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The PhotophoneThough Alexander Graham Bell is best known for his telephone, he was proudest of his photophone, a device that uses rays of light to transmit sound. He made the first wireless call with it in 1880 and was so smitten with the invention that, to his wife's dismay, he wanted to name his second daughter "Photophone." Although outdoor interference from rain and clouds made the device impractical and it never caught on, it is considered the precursor to what modern method of information transfer? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Philippine Declaration of Independence (1898)After Spain's defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands. However, neither the US nor Spain recognized Philippine independence. Instead, the Spanish government ceded the islands to the US in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, sparking a period of hostilities between US and Filipino forces. When did the US finally recognize the islands' independence? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Augustus Roebling (1806)Roebling was a German-American civil engineer and pioneer in suspension bridge design. After demonstrating the practicability of steel cable and establishing a plant for manufacturing it, he built the Allegheny Suspension Bridge, the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, and a number of other spans. His most ambitious project was the Brooklyn Bridge, but it also led to his death. Early in the construction process, he suffered a foot injury, developed tetanus, and died. Who took over in his place? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go to Canossa— To become or make oneself humble; to do a penance or seek absolution for some wrong. A reference to Canossa Castle in Emilia Romagna, Italy, where Emperor Henry IV humbled himself before Pope Gregory VII in 1077 to have his excommunication lifted. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Philippines Independence Day (2023)Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964) declared the Philippines independent on June 12, 1898. But the U.S. acquired the islands in 1899, and it wasn't until July 4, 1946, that they were granted full independence. For many years, Filipinos set aside July 4 to celebrate their independence. In 1962, the date was changed to June 12. Independence Day ceremonies in Manila include a military parade and the pealing of church bells. After the ceremonies are over, Filipinos devote the remainder of the day to recreation. There are games and athletic competitions, fireworks displays, and Independence Day balls. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: mentionoojah, ooja-ka-piv, oojiboo - An oojah or ooja-ka-piv or oojiboo is "a thing whose name one forgets, does not know, or prefers not to mention." More... apophasis - Mentioning a subject by saying one is not going to mention it. More... infandous - Describing something too horrible to mention. More... mention - Its etymological notion is "reminding," from Latin mentio, "remembrance." More... | |