Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, June 1, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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olfaction
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Paranoid FictionParanoid fiction is a literary genre in which reality is portrayed as subject to manipulation by external forces, such as totalitarian governments, or internal forces, such as insanity. The genre frequently overlaps with dystopian fiction and science fiction and is inspired by the works of authors like Franz Kafka and Philip K. Dick, who penned the novel that was made into the film Blade Runner. What paranoid-fiction writer may have taken some of his inspiration from his own nightmares? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Court Martial of Benedict Arnold Begins (1779)When Arnold was court-martialed in 1779, it was not for the treason that would later make his name synonymous with betrayal. The charges involved fiscal irregularities and were relatively minor. Though he was largely exonerated, the trial sullied his reputation. Despite having distinguished himself in various American military campaigns—he was wounded more than once—Arnold was subsequently passed over for promotion. Embittered, he hatched what plot to aid the British in the American Revolution? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Hadley Billington (1929)Billington is a US scholar and the 13th Librarian of Congress. He earned his PhD in 1953 as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, taught at Harvard and Princeton, and published several significant books on Russia. He served as director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars from 1973 to 1987, when he became Librarian of Congress. There, he has fostered cooperation between libraries worldwide and encouraged the use of digital media. He has been decorated by what countries? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Goûter Matrimonial (Matrimonial Tea Party) (2020)Known locally as Goûter Matrimonial, the Matrimonial Tea party that takes place on Whit Monday every year in Écaussinnes-Lalaing in Belgium is an opportunity for unmarried women to entertain eligible bachelors. At 9 a.m., the visiting men are greeted at the town hall and invited to write their names in an official guest book. At three in the afternoon the annual tea is announced. It consists of coffee, beer, and locally made sweets, and it is followed by folk dancing and merrymaking that continues for most of the night. No statistics are available concerning the success of the matchmaking. More... | |