Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
scaremonger Definition: (noun) A person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble. Synonyms: stirrer Usage: When he started spreading the rumor that the government was bent on destroying our homes, we decided that he was a scaremonger and stopped paying attention.

Article of the Day

Ticker-Tape Parades Ticker-tape parades were originated in New York City by Grover Whalen, the city's official greeter from 1919 to 1953. The welcome ceremonies he staged for Charles Lindbergh and returning soldiers from both world wars, among others, featured a festive snow of confetti—originally ticker-tape from stockbrokers' offices in lower Manhattan—thrown onto the parade from the tall buildings along the route. Today the parades most often fete sports champions. What is the "Canyon of Heroes"? More...

This Day in History

Second "Palmer Raid" Takes Place (1920) During the "Red Scare" that followed World War I, US Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer attempted to deport political radicals, dissidents, and aliens in the notorious "Palmer Raids." The first raid took place in late 1919. The second series of raids began in January 1920. In total, some 3,000 allegedly subversive aliens were rounded up for deportation. A few hundred were deported, but the vast majority were released. The raids were preceded by bombings targeting what officials? More...

Today's Birthday

Ernst Barlach (1870) Barlach was an outstanding German expressionist sculptor, graphic artist, and writer. Through the power of his simple, angular, and compact forms, he communicated intense emotion and compassion. From clay modeling he turned to wood carving and woodcutting, which imbued his work with a rough-hewn quality. He achieved fame in the 1920s and 30s with the execution of several war memorials for the Weimar Republic. Why were many of Barlach's works destroyed or confiscated as "degenerate art"? More...

Quotation of the Day
I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

Idiom of the Day
look for a dog to kick — To seek out someone to blame or castigate, especially someone who is not at fault. (Usually said in the continuous tense.) More...

Today's Holiday

Berchtold's Day (2025) In Switzerland, the day after New Year's Day is known as Berchtoldstag and is celebrated primarily by children. Groups of playmates organize parties that feature nut eating and nut games followed by singing and folk dancing. A popular game is the building of "hocks" composed of four nuts placed close together with a fifth balanced on top. The children begin gathering and stockpiling nuts for Berchtold's Day festivities early in the fall. More...