Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 26, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Grammatical PersonGrammatical person refers to the degree of involvement of a participant in an action, event, or circumstance. There are three degrees of grammatical person. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Alchemy in the Islamic WorldIn the 8th century, alchemy, a pseudoscience focused on transforming base metals into gold, reached the Islamic world. Over the next several centuries, Muslim alchemists revolutionized the field, introducing scientific method into alchemical research and developing apparatuses like the alembic, still, and retort, which are still in use in laboratories today, and chemical processes such as pure distillation and filtration. Which Arab alchemist has been called "the father of chemistry"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Decomposing Whale Explodes on Crowded Taiwan Street (2004)After a sperm whale became beached on the coast of Taiwan, researchers decided to perform an autopsy on the creature to determine its cause of death—later found to have been a collision with a ship. It took three cranes half a day to load the whale onto a truck, during which time gas continued to build up in the decomposing carcass. While passing through Tainan on the way to a wildlife preserve, the whale exploded, spattering onlookers and nearby cars with gore. Where else have whales exploded? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Maria Augusta von Trapp (1905)Born in Austria and orphaned at a young age, Maria Kutschera planned to become a nun in Salzburg. Instead, she met Baron Georg von Trapp while tutoring one of his seven children. They were married in 1927 and had three children together. After financial trouble, the family began to sing professionally, then fled Nazi Europe for the US. Today, the family operates a lodge in Vermont. Maria's 1949 memoir was adapted into The Sound of Music. What became of the family's home in Austria? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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won't budge an inch— Will not move, change, or shift in any way at all. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Uganda Liberation Day (2025)This day marks the events of January 26, 1986, when the military junta controlling Uganda was overthrown by the National Resistance Army following a five-year civil war. On the evening before the celebration, fireworks are exploded over the capital city of Kampala. The next day, a parade involving all branches of the Uganda military is held either at the Kololo Independence grounds or at the Kololo airfield, just outside Kampala. The country's president presides over the occasion. Throughout the country, the general public marks the day with sporting events and hearty feasts. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: skirtbustle - A stuffed pad or cushion worn under the skirt of a woman's dress, it had a synonym of "dress-improver." More... kick pleat - The slit in the back of a skirt or coat that allows more freedom of movement. More... A-line - A dress or skirt shaped like an A, created by Christian Dior. More... skirt - The ice cream at the base of a scoop of ice cream in a cone. More... | |