Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 31, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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irreverent
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| Article of the Day | |
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 PaperweightsAppreciated more for their aesthetic value than their practical aspects, paperweights are collected as examples of fine craftsmanship by approximately 20,000 enthusiasts worldwide. Produced both by sole artisans and in factories where artists and technicians collaborate, paperweights come in many different varieties, and their value is determined based on their design, rarity, and condition. What was the record sum once paid for an antique French paperweight? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 K2 Is Summited for the First Time (1954)Rising 28,251 ft (8,611 m) between China and Pakistan, K2 is the second-highest peak in the world after Mount Everest. Severe storms make K2 more dangerous to climb, however, and it has never been summited in winter. Measured in 1856, it was not summited until nearly 100 years later. In 1954, Italians Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the top with the help of crew members who carried oxygen to above 26,245 feet (8,000 m). What thwarted an American attempt just one year earlier? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (1396)A man of shifting alliances, Philip the Good ruled Burgundy at the height of its prestige and presided over one of Europe's most lavish courts. After his father was murdered during a meeting with the dauphin of France—the future King Charles VII—Philip formed an alliance with England but then broke it to recognize Charles as king and gain French favor. Phillip soon turned on Charles, however, sheltering his rebellious son, the eventual King Louis XI. Who was captured by Phillip's troops in 1430? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 As a man without forethought scarcely deserves the name of a man, so forethought without reflection is but a metaphorical phrase for the instinct of a beast.Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (2017)St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic religious order whose members are known as Jesuits. The Feast of St. Ignatius is celebrated by Jesuits everywhere, but particularly in the Basque region of Spain where he was born. The largest Basque community in North America, located in Boise, Idaho, holds its annual St. Ignatius Loyola Picnic on the last weekend in July—an event often referred to as the Basque Festival. More... | |