Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, May 5, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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decennium
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Grammatical TenseGrammatical tense refers to the conjugation of a verb to reflect its place in time—that is, when the action occurred. Verbs in their basic form inherently describe the present time, and they can be conjugated into a unique form that describes the past. What can we then use to create different aspects of the past and present tenses? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Vlad III the Impaler: The Original DraculaVlad III, son of Prince Vlad Dracul, briefly ruled Wallachia in the mid-15th century. Known as Dracula, meaning "Son of the Dragon" or "Son of the Devil," Vlad lived up to his moniker. He ruled with terrible cruelty, impaling tens of thousands and earning his own nickname—"the Impaler." The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, although not based on Vlad's historical exploits, introduced the name Dracula to a global audience. What other execution methods are said to have been favored by Vlad? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First American in Space (1961)In 1961, 23 days after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to be launched into space. Shepard's suborbital flight—part of the US space program Project Mercury—reached a height of 115 miles (185 km). He performed several maneuvers of his capsule, Freedom 7, but returned after only a 15-minute flight. Although Gagarin was the first human in space, Shepard was the first to return in what way? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Eugénia María de Montijo de Guzmán (1826)The daughter of a Spanish noble, Eugénia married Napoleon III in 1853 and became the empress of France. She took an active role in the politics of the Second Empire, acting as regent when her husband was at war. She also encouraged French opposition to a Prussian candidate for the Spanish throne in the controversy that precipitated the Franco-Prussian War. Deposed after Napoleon's defeat and capture, she fled and settled in England. Why was her marriage to Napoleon controversial? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The land of literature is a fairy-land to those who view it at a distance, but, like all other landscapes, the charm fades on a nearer approach, and the thorns and briars become visible.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a kernel of truth— A singular element of truth or wisdom within a greater story, narrative, speech, or claim, especially when most or all other elements are fictitious or of questionable veracity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Thailand Coronation Day (2024)On May 5, 1950, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned Rama IX of Thailand, the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty. Ever since, the day has been celebrated as Coronation Day in Thailand. On May 4th, the Chief of Brahmin priests reads out the official proclamation of Coronation Day. On May 5, the Buddhist monks are given a feast and the king wears his full regalia. At noon, the Royal Thai Army and Navy each give a 21-gun salute. Later in the day, the king awards medals and decorations to those citizens who have done outstanding services for the state. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: strivecompete - Comes from Latin competere, "come together," but in later Latin, it developed the sense "strive together," which was the basis for the English term. More... repugn, repugnant - Repugn means "to strive against" or "be contradictory or inconsistent," giving us repugnant. More... strive - Seems to be from Old French estriver, "quarrel, strive." More... win - Its Germanic base gave it its first meaning, "to labor, strive, work." More... | |