Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, August 30, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Periods with Quotation MarksIf a sentence uses quotation marks to indicate something that another person has said, and the quotation marks appear at the end of the sentence, the period can appear in one of two places. In American English, the punctuation used at the end of direct speech always appears within the quotation marks. However, in British English, where are periods that end quotations usually placed? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 OuroborosOne of the oldest mystical symbols in the world, the ouroboros, Greek for "tail-devourer," is an ancient representation of a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle. It is important in the religious and mythological symbolism of many cultures and generally represents cyclicality, unity, or infinity. In Gnosticism, it symbolizes the soul of the world. How is the ouroboros related to alchemy? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Tannenberg Ends (1914)The Battle of Tannenberg was a decisive engagement between Russian and German forces in WWI. After invading German East Prussia, the Russian First and Second armies became separated. German forces then attacked one of the isolated armies and forced its retreat, killing and capturing tens of thousands in the process. Though disastrous for Russia, the battle forced Germany to divert troops from the Western Front during the first critical weeks of the war. Why was the battle named after Tannenberg? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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.jpg) Nancy Wake (1912)Wake, who lived to the age of 98, was one of World War II's most decorated servicewomen. A New Zealand native, she left home at 16 and eventually settled in Paris. When the Germans occupied France, Wake joined the resistance. Pursued by the Gestapo, she fled to Britain, where she joined the Special Operations Executive. In 1944, she parachuted back into France to help establish communications between the British military and French Resistance. What nickname did the Gestapo have for her? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Never ... be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices ... and I can always be hopeful of you.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be left to (one's) own devices— To be left unsupervised or uncontrolled; to be allowed to do as one pleases. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Santa Rosa de Lima (2024)St. Rose was the first canonized saint of the Americas, born in Lima, Peru, in 1586. She is the patron saint of Central and South America and the Philippines. She died in 1617 and was canonized in 1671. On her feast day, a candlelight procession takes place from her shrine in the church of Santo Domingo to the cathedral. Adults wear purple robes, while children wear white ones. People sing religious hymns as they accompany the rose-covered image to the cathedral. St. Rose's Day is a public holiday throughout Peru. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spheregreat circle - Any circle on the surface of a sphere that lies on a plane through its center, or a circle that divides into two equal parts—as the Equator. More... quadrant - A quarter of a circle or sphere. More... rhumb line - A line on a sphere that cuts all meridians at the same angle; the path taken by a ship or plane that maintains a constant compass direction. More... diameter - From Greek, meaning "measure through" (a circle or sphere, etc.). More... | |