Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 2, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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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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 First and Only Flight of the "Spruce Goose" (1947)A few years before going into complete seclusion, millionaire aviator and airplane manufacturer Howard Hughes built and piloted the only flight of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, the largest flying boat—indeed the largest airplane—in history. He designed the seaplane as a troop and materiel transport for the US War Department and manufactured it almost entirely from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum. Though nicknamed the "Spruce Goose," it was actually primarily made of what? 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) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Balfour Declaration Day (2018)On November 2, 1917, Arthur J. Balfour, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to Lord Rothschild indicating that the British government was in favor of establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Although this may not seem to be as significant an event as Israel Independence Day, the Jewish people felt that the British government's commitment to their cause was very important. The day on which it was made has been kept as a semi-holiday ever since. More... | |