Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
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This Day in History

Israeli Knesset Convenes for the First Time (1949) In 1948, following a failed attempt by the UN to divide Palestine, which had been under British mandate, the nation of Israel proclaimed its independence. The first legislative assembly, or Knesset, convened in February 1949 and succeeded the Assembly of Representatives that had functioned as the Jewish community's parliament during the Mandate era. The prime minister and the president are responsible to the Knesset, whose members are elected by popular vote. What does "knesset" mean in Hebrew? More...

Today's Birthday

Renée Fleming (1959) Fleming is an American soprano who specializes in opera and lieder, a type of German art song intended for soloists. The daughter of two music teachers, Fleming graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 1981 with a degree in music education and went on to study at Eastman School of Music and Juilliard. Her professional debut was in Austria in 1986. She has won numerous awards for her roles in opera and for the classical music she has recorded. What did Fleming do to pay for her studies at Juilliard? More...

Quotation of the Day

Idiom of the Day
make as though — To behave as if; to pretend or make it appear that. More...

Today's Holiday

Frederick Douglass Day (2019) Each year on February 14, Frederick Douglass's birthday is commemorated with a ceremony at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C. The event features speakers on human rights, recitations of excerpts from Douglass's speeches, music performances, and a wreath-laying ceremony. Activities, including lectures, readings from his works, and film presentations about his life, are also planned in New Bedford, in Rochester, N.Y., where Douglass's grave is located, and in many other locations throughout the country. More...