Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 26, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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gastropod
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Conjunctive Adverbs in the Middle of the Second ClauseConjunctive adverbs must appear in the second of the two clauses that are connected. While they often appear at the beginning of the second clause, they can actually be moved around within it. If we place the conjunctive adverb in the middle of the second clause, what should it come after? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 KabukiKabuki, a popular form of Japanese drama, is known for its spectacular staging, elaborate costumes, and striking makeup in place of masks. It originated in 1603, when a woman named Izumo no Okuni began performing a new style of dance that became instantly popular. Rival troupes quickly formed, and kabuki evolved into an ensemble dance performed by women—a form much different from its modern incarnation in which men play all the roles. Why were women banned from the kabuki stage in 1629? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Bomb Delivered to Harvey's Resort Hotel (1980)After losing a substantial amount of money gambling at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, John Birges devised a plan to recoup his losses. On August 26, 1980, he planted a bomb containing nearly 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of dynamite at the casino. His attempt to extort millions of dollars failed, but so did efforts to disarm his sophisticated, tamper-proof bomb. The resulting explosion destroyed much of the casino on August 27. No one was injured. How did experts try to disarm the bomb? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, AKA Mother Teresa (1910)In 1927, 17-year-old Agnes Bojaxhiu left her native Macedonia and became a Catholic nun in India, changing her name to Teresa. She never saw her family again. Her decades of devoted charity to the poor earned her global recognition and a 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. Though she was a prominent religious figure, she suffered from a crisis of faith that lasted decades. Since her death in 1997, she has rapidly progressed toward being declared a saint. Why was an exorcism once performed on Mother Teresa? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Democracy passes into despotism.Plato (427 BC-347 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be rained out— To be delayed, postponed, or cancelled due to the rain. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Namibia Heroes' Day (2025)To honor those who lost their lives fighting for national freedom, Namibia has designated August 26 as Heroes' Day. On this day, thousands of Namibians gather at Ongulumbashe to celebrate. Representatives from all 13 regions give performances and cultural presentations, including traditional praise songs and dances. A re-enactment of the battle of Ongulumbashe concludes with the raising of the Namibian flag, as the real fighters did after each triumph in the war. In Namibia's capital city of Windhoek, the Heroes' Acre national monument was erected to honor the freedom fighters. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: princeadmiral - First used in English to mean "an emir or prince under the Sultan," coming from Arabic amir al, "commander of"; admiral was originally a sea lord due to the office of amir-al-bahr or amir-al-ma (Arabic), "ameer/emir of the sea." More... prince - Derived from Latin princeps, "chief man" or "leading citizen." More... tycoon - Comes from Japanese tai, "great," and kun, "prince, lord," from Chinese da, "great," and jun, "prince, ruler." More... whipping boy - Meaning "scapegoat," the phrase derives from the boy formerly raised with a prince or other young nobleman and whipped for the latter's misdeeds. More... | |