Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 3, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Identifying Indirect ObjectsAn indirect object is the person or thing who receives the direct object of the verb. Where do indirect objects appear in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) Karl Benz Unveils His Patent Motorwagen (1886)Six months after applying for a patent for a three-wheeled horseless carriage driven by an internal combustion engine, Benz staged a public demonstration of the contraption in Mannheim, Germany. Widely regarded as the first automobile, the Benz Patent Motorwagen resembled a park bench on a giant tricycle and had a steering handle instead of the now-familiar wheel. It was only used for short jaunts until 1888, when Benz's wife took it for its first long-distance road trip. What was its top speed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Louis XI of France, the Spider King (1423)Louis XI ruled from 1461 to 1483 and is deemed France's first modern king for establishing a powerful monarchy and moving away from the feudal system of the Middle Ages. His web of political machinations earned him the nickname "Spider King" and destroyed his relationship with his father, King Charles VII. In 1440, at age 17, he tried to depose Charles in the uprising known as the Praguerie. Though Charles forgave his son, he exiled Louis six years later. What had Louis done this time? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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| Idiom of the Day | |
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on opposite sides of the barricade(s)— Occupying conflicting, opposing, and/or contrary positions on some issue or in some situation. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dog Days (2024)The Dog Days are known as the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and usually occur in July and early August. In ancient times, the sultry weather in Rome during these months often made people sick, which they blamed on the fact that this was when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose at about the same time as the sun. There are many different ways of calculating which days in any given year are the dog days, but it is impossible to be precise; nowadays it is generally assumed that they fall between July 3 and August 11—slightly later than they occurred in ancient times. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sendinggranulated sugar - So called because the last step in processing white table sugar is sending it through a granulator, where it is dried and formed into tiny grains. More... mission - First denoted sending the Holy Spirit into the world, from Latin mittere, "send." More... perennial - First meant "remaining leafy throughout the year"; plants living three or more years—dying aboveground and sending up fresh growth every year—are perennials. More... radio - An abbreviation of radiotelegraphy, the sending of messages by electromagnetic rays. More... | |