Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 4, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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vicinity
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The O'Neill CylinderWhile teaching physics at Princeton University in 1969, Gerard K. O'Neill asked his students to design large, theoretical structures suitable for space. Their proposals led him to publish the first concept for what came to be known as the "O'Neill cylinder" in 1974 in Physics Today and to revisit the idea in his book, The High Frontier. O'Neill's design incorporates areas for human habitation, farming, and manufacturing. What feature allows occupants to experience gravity? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 American Colonies Declare Independence (1776)On June 11, 1776, one year into the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson and other delegates of the Continental Congress began drafting a formal declaration of their intent to form a new nation. Their final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congress on July 4, a date that would become a national holiday. Most of the congressional delegates signed it that August. Why did John Adams predict that July 2nd—not the 4th—would be considered the greatest day in US history? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Calvin Coolidge (1872)In 1920, Coolidge was elected vice president of the US under Warren G. Harding, who died in 1923—making Coolidge president. Untouched by the scandals of the Harding administration, Coolidge was directly elected president in 1924. He was a popular and deliberately hands-off leader, and though he was an effective public speaker, he was a man of few words when out of the spotlight. Upon hearing that "Silent Cal" had died in 1933, writer Dorothy Parker is said to have delivered what famous remark? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Hobbes clearly proves that every creatureLives in a state of war by nature. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Esplanade Concerts (2020)Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979), a violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, started this outdoor concert series on July 4, 1929. Held at the Hatch Memorial Shell since 1940, the concerts are free, and it is not uncommon for hundreds of thousands to gather on the grassy riverbank or listen to the concerts from boats moored in the Charles River lagoon for the Fourth of July holiday. A musically synchronized fireworks display follows the concert. More... | |