Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, August 31, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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asthenopia
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Factitive Verbs vs. Linking VerbsLinking verbs and factitive verbs both tie a subject to another part of speech that provides more information about it. How do linking verbs differ from factitive verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 André the GiantAndré “the Giant” René Roussimoff was born in France and rose to fame as a pro wrestler. His stature was the result of pituitary gigantism, a hormonal disease. Conflicting reports exist as to his actual height; estimates range from 6 ft 10 in (208 cm) to 7ft 5 in (226 cm). His weight, also under dispute, has been billed as lying anywhere between 380 lb (172 kg) and 540 lb (245 kg). André played Fezzik in the movie The Princess Bride and later inspired Billy Crystal to write what film? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Edison Patents Kinetoscope in the US (1897)Developed by Edison's assistant, W.K.L. Dickson, the kinetoscope was a precursor to the modern motion-picture projector. It works through a phenomenon known as "persistence of vision," in which a sequence of images creates the illusion of motion. Initially, Edison hoped to synchronize the images with sound, but he was unable to achieve this. The kinetoscope was designed to be viewed by one person at a time. Why did Edison supposedly balk at the idea of projecting films before larger audiences? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Commodus (161 CE)The son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus was a Roman emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 CE—a period some historians consider the beginning of the empire's decline. Though his reign was fairly peaceful, Commodus was a tyrant who spent lavishly on gladiatorial combats, persecuted the Senate, and tried to rename Rome after himself. He fancied himself a gladiator, frequently killing exotic animals. His mistress and advisors had him strangled. He considered himself the reincarnation of what mythical hero? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The burning of rebellious thoughts in the little breast, of internal hatred and opposition, could not long go on without slight whiffs of external smoke, such as mark the course of subterranean fire.Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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rip-snorting mad— Extremely angry and agitated; infuriated. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Kyrgyz Republic Independence Day (2025)Kyrgyztan declared independence from the Soviet Union on August 31, 1991, along with other central Asian republics as the Soviet empire crumbled. Located along the famed Silk Road, the trade route connecting the eastern and western parts of Eurasia, the country is mostly mountainous, part of the Tien-Shan, or Celestial Mountains. Independence Day is a national public holiday in the Kyrgyz Republic. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: inncaravanserai - A type of inn in Eastern countries where caravans are put up. More... harbergery - An inn or place of entertainment. More... inn - Etymologically a place "in" which people live or stay, from Proto-Germanic innam. More... | |