Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unfrequented
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Possessive AdjectivesPossessive adjectives, also known as "possessive determiners," are used to indicate whom an item belongs to. While there are standard possessive adjectives (such as "my," "your," and "its"), we can also create possessive determiners from nouns by using what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Alternative BiochemistryTheories about extraterrestrial life forms whose biochemistries differ radically from those on Earth have given rise to alternative biochemistry, a speculative science that often appears in works of science fiction. Common examples proposed by scientists in this field include life forms that use elements other than carbon to construct primary cellular structures or those that use solvents other than water. Why is the silicon atom considered a possible basis for an alternative biochemical system? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Harry S. Truman Announces His Point Four Program (1949)As the fourth point of his presidential inauguration address in 1949, Truman announced what became known as his Point Four Program—the US policy of technical assistance and economic aid to less-developed countries. Such assistance, mainly in agriculture, public health, and education, was provided through contracts with US business and educational organizations. During the Cold War, the US government used Point Four to win support from uncommitted nations. Does the program still exist? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Federico Fellini (1920)After collaborating on screenplays with Roberto Rossellini in the 1940s, Italian Federico Fellini turned from writing to directing films. His movies earned international acclaim, and a number of them won Academy Awards, including La Strada, 8 ½, and Amarcord. Filmed in color starting in 1965, his movies became a celebration of life, with its beauties and grotesqueries, as well as an exploration of Fellini's dream life. His wife starred in several of his films. Who was she? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The offhand decision of some commonplace mind high in office at a critical moment influences the course of events for a hundred years.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lose the number of (one's) mess— obsolete military and naval To die or be killed. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Azerbaijan Day of the Martyrs (2025)On January 20, 1990, Soviet troops entered the Azerbaijan capital city of Baku to quell protests by Azerbaijani nationals, who were agitating for freedom from Soviet rule. Soviet soldiers were responsible for the deaths of 131 people, and the events have come to be known as "Black January." The national holiday on January 20 honors those who died at the hands of the Soviet troops. Flags are flown at half-mast across the country, and the tragedy is commemorated at Martyrs' Lane, where photographs of the victims decorate the tombstones and the president lays a wreath at the Eternal Fire. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tree trunkpirogue - A canoe made from a tree trunk. More... tree ring - Any of the concentric rings of the cross-section of a tree trunk, representing a year's growth, or the layer of wood produced by a year's growth in a woody plant; also called annual ring. More... block - Derives from Middle Dutch blok, "tree trunk." More... snag - Literally first meant a stump on a tree trunk or a piece of timber underwater that obstructed navigation. More... | |