Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 16, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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ecesis
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PeriodsThe period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. When typing, how many spaces should be used after a period? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Goethe's Theory of ColoursIn 1810, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published his observations of color. Most physicists dispute the validity of his work because of his reification of darkness and explanation of color as the interplay between darkness and light. Goethe considered this work his magnum opus and it remains a remarkable catalogue of observations on color perception and color phenomena. What inspired Goethe to pursue his own study of color and challenge the widely accepted theories posited by Newton? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Altmark Incident (1940)While passing through neutral Norwegian waters during WWII, the German supply vessel Altmark was boarded by Norwegian inspectors. They were told the craft was merely a commercial ship, but it was in fact being used to transport 299 British prisoners of war. The captives tried to make their presence known by banging on the hull, but winches were run to drown them out. The Royal Navy, however, pursued the ship and mounted a rescue. What now-famous phrase alerted the men to their liberation? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Vera Menchik (1906)A Russian-born British international chess master, Menchik won seven consecutive Women's World Chess Championships, beginning with the first one ever held and ending in 1939, when World War II halted the tournament. She and her family were killed in an air raid on London in 1944. When Menchik entered a men's tournament in 1929, Viennese master Albert Becker ridiculed her by saying that anyone who lost to her should become a part of the "Vera Menchik Club." Who was the first of its many members? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A funeral is not death, any more than baptism is birth or marriage union. All three are the clumsy devices, coming now too late, now too early, by which Society would register the quick motions of man.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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barrel of laughs— Fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lithuania Independence Day (2025)This is a national holiday in Lithuania marking the declaration of independence from Austrian, Prussian, and Russian occupation on February 16, 1918. Today, the anniversary is celebrated with festivals and fireworks, particularly in the capital city of Vilnius. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slighthair-trigger - Its underlying meaning is something that may be triggered with the pressure of something as slight as a hair. More... legerdemain - "Slight of hand, conjuring tricks," from French, literally "light of hand." More... velleity - Describes a mild desire, wish, or urge that is too slight to lead to action. More... | |