Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 15, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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SlashesThe slash ( / )—technically known as a virgule but also called a slant, solidus, or stroke—serves a number of purposes in writing. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 It's Raining Cats and Dogs!Although it is a rare phenomenon, the occurrence of animals "raining" from the sky has been reported many times throughout history. One hypothesis often proposed to explain this phenomenon is that strong winds traveling over bodies of water sometimes pick up aquatic animals, such as fish or frogs, and carry them for up to several miles, finally depositing them on land. However, this phenomenon has never been witnessed or scientifically tested. What are some other possible explanations? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Canada Adopts Maple Leaf Flag (1965)By the 1960s, Canada had been an organized dominion for a century and an equal, autonomous partner of Britain for decades. Consequently, its British-derived flag had become the subject of intense controversy. Following the Great Flag Debate of 1964, Canada's Parliament considered several possible designs before choosing the red-and-white maple leaf flag. In what foreign conflict had the previous flag's design, which incorporated the Union Jack, caused trouble for Canadian peacekeeping forces? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Irena Sendler (1910)Working with Polish resistance groups and a network of helpers, Sendler saved 2,500 Jewish children during WWII by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto, sometimes hidden in suitcases. After changing the children's names and arranging for their care, she buried records of their identities in jars, hoping to someday reunite them with their parents. Though she was arrested, tortured, and reportedly executed in 1943, she actually survived the war and lived to be 98. How did she survive the Nazis? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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banged up— Hurt. Damaged (often from use or wear). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Maine Memorial Day (2025)The American battleship Maine exploded while sitting at anchor in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. While the question of responsibility for the explosion was never really settled, many in the U.S. assumed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction. The Spanish-American War was declared in April, and "Remember the Maine!" is the slogan that has been associated with it ever since. February 15 was observed for many years by the U.S. Navy and by Spanish-American War veterans' associations in Havana and the U.S. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: skilledart - Comes from a base word meaning "put together"; its original general meaning referred to any kind of skill. More... deipnosophist - If you are skilled at table talk, you are a deipnosophist. More... kung fu - From Chinese words translating to "merit master" or "one who is highly skilled." More... linguished - Means "skilled in languages." More... | |