Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, March 10, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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conflux
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Coconut CrabsA hermit crab, the coconut crab is remarkable for its massive pincers as well as its sheer size—it is the world's largest known terrestrial arthropod. Unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs cannot swim. Instead of gills, they possess a special organ called a branchiostegal lung, which is suited to absorb oxygen from air rather than water but must be kept moist if it is to function. Why is this type of crab popularly associated with the coconut? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Rome Crushes Carthage at the Battle of the Aegates Islands (241 BCE)The Roman navy's decisive victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of the Aegates Islands brought about the end of the decades-long First Punic War. The Carthaginian fleet involved in the battle had come to deliver supplies to besieged forces in Sicily. Overloaded with provisions, the Carthaginian vessels were easily overtaken by the Romans despite winds favoring the former. What bold tactical decision allowed the Romans to overcome this obstacle and defeat the Carthaginians? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Kate Sheppard (1847)The most prominent member of New Zealand's suffrage movement, Sheppard helped make her country the first nation to grant women the right to vote. She was also active in the temperance movement, which sought to achieve its goals by promoting woman's suffrage. Today, Sheppard's image appears on New Zealand's 10-pound note, and she is honored in a monument at Christchurch. Immediately after women's suffrage was granted in 1893, Sheppard embarked on a frantic, 10-week effort to do what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If you desire to drain to the dregs the fullest cup of scorn and hatred that a fellow human being can pour out for you, let a young mother hear you call dear baby "it."Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up (2018)Billed "The World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up," this is one of several rattlesnake round-ups in Texas; some 30,000 spectators come to watch the goings-on. It is sponsored by the Sweetwater Jaycees, who stress the focus on safety and the benefits of the round-up. The weekend events include snake-handling demonstrations and the awarding of prizes for the biggest snake. There are also a parade, rattlesnake dances with country bands, and a rattlesnake meat-eating contest. A cook shack fries and serves more than 4,000 pounds of rattlesnake meat each year. More... | |