Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 02, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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oceanaut
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Ryutin AffairThe Ryutin Affair, one of the last attempts of the Soviet Communist Party to oppose Stalin, took place in 1932, when Martemyan Ryutin, an Old Bolshevik, decided to secretly oppose the controversial Soviet leader. In a nearly 200-page document now known as the "Ryutin Platform," he called for Stalin's elimination and a "fresh start," but he was soon identified as the author, imprisoned, and ultimately executed. What happened when Stalin initially proposed the death penalty for Ryutin? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Balfour Declaration (1917)The Balfour Declaration was a British government statement promising the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine that would not disturb non-Jews already living there. The British anticipated gaining a mandate over Palestine after WWI and hoped to win over Jewish public opinion for the Allies. They also hoped that pro-British settlers would help protect the approaches to the Suez Canal, a vital link to Britain's South Asian possessions. Who actually wrote the declaration? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Warren G. Harding (1865)With promises to the war-weary American public of a "return to normalcy" in the wake of WWI, Harding was elected 29th president of the US. However, his administration soon earned a reputation for corruption. As an investigation into what proved to be the Teapot Dome scandal began, he traveled to Alaska, where he was informed of the corruption about to be exposed. While en route home, he became mysteriously ill, allegedly from food poisoning, and suddenly died. What caused his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To found principles of government upon too advantageous an estimate of the human character is an error of inexperience, the source of which is so amiable that it is impossible to censure it with severity.John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have the feel of (something)— To have a general sense of how to do or use something or how something operates; to be familiar with something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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_-_The_Day_of_the_Dead_(1859).jpg) All Souls' Day (2016)It was St. Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century proposed that the day after All Saints' Day be set aside in honor of the departed—particularly those whose souls were in purgatory. Today, the souls of all the faithful departed are commemorated. In many Catholic countries, people attend churches and visit family graves on this day to honor their ancestors. In Mexico, it is a national holiday called Día de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead). Orthodox Christians commemorate the dead on the second Saturday before Lent begins and on the day before Pentecost. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Cosmic Jack o' Lantern: NASA Discovers Giant 'Pumpkin Stars'Move over, Charlie Brown: NASA has found its own Great Pumpkin, and it’s quite a bit greater. Using data from NASA’s Kepler and Swift survey missions, astronomers have discovered a group of fast-spinning, X-ray slinging orange giants. These “pumpkin ... More... | |