Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, February 11, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
bambino
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Comparative AdjectivesComparative adjectives are adjectives that compare differences between the attributes of two nouns. We form comparative adjectives either by adding "-er" to the end of the adjective, or by adding what word before the adjective? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Unfinished WorksThe Canterbury Tales contains only a fraction of the stories Chaucer had planned, and Bach's The Art of Fugue cuts off so abruptly that it was long thought that he died while composing it. Sometimes, it is not the artist but the subject whose death prevents a work’s completion, as was the case with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died just hours after a painter began his portrait. What other unfinished works leave us wondering what they would have been like had they been completed? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Tewodros II Crowned Emperor of Ethiopia (1855)Often called Ethiopia's first modern ruler, Tewodros was a bold and clever warrior who came to the throne through the conquest of other chiefs, reunifying the various Ethiopian kingdoms into one empire. He attempted to modernize the country, abolish feudalism and slavery, and focus loyalty around the government rather than the church but failed to achieve this during his reign. His later years were marked with instability and cruelty. Why did he assume the name Tewodros upon taking the throne? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini (1380)An Italian humanist and calligrapher, Poggio Bracciolini is remembered today for two reasons. As a secretary, historian, and copyist, he uncovered many forgotten and neglected Latin manuscripts—including works by Cicero and Lucretius—that might otherwise have been lost to history. He is also famous for his extraordinarily beautiful and legible handwriting, which was later developed into roman type, the predecessor of almost all non-italic fonts. Whose handwriting was the basis for italic fonts? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 A prisoner...is unfortunate in two ways—because he has done something wrong and because he is deprived of his liberty. Therefore we should treat him kindly, because of his misfortune, for otherwise he would become hard and bitter and would not be sorry he had done wrong.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
at top speed— As fast as something or someone can go. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Liberia Armed Forces Day (2025)On this day, Liberians honor the soldiers of the country's armed forces. Festivities often include regiment parades and a public address from the Liberian president or the commander-in-chief. The holiday has evoked mixed memories for Liberians, as the army has been linked with the chaos that plagued the country at the end of the 20th century. In 2007, however, the defense ministry introduced a newly restructured contingent, which paraded through the main streets of the capital city, Monrovia, before hundreds of attendees. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: shrubsboscage - A mass of growing trees or shrubs—or a depiction of a wooded landscape. More... nature strip - An area of grass beside a roadway, possibly with a few trees or shrubs, lying between the footpath part and the roadway proper. More... balm, balsam - Greek balsamon is the source of both balm and balsam; it was an oily resin of various trees and shrubs. More... topiary - Describing shrubs and trees that are trimmed, it is derived from Latin topiarius, "ornamental gardener." More... | |