Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, April 13, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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raffish
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The DaguerreotypeThe daguerreotype, an early form of photograph, was invented by Louis Daguerre in the early 19th c. He collaborated with J. Nicéphore Niepce, who created the first permanent photograph, but completed the design alone following his partner's sudden death. A daguerreotype, produced on a silver-plated copper sheet, produces a mirror image photograph of the exposed scene. Daguerre's process made portrait photography possible for the first time. How did the French government describe the invention? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sidney Poitier Becomes the First African American to Win Best Actor Oscar (1964)The first African American to achieve leading man status in Hollywood, Poitier began acting with the American Negro Theatre in New York City and made his film debut soon after. He won acclaim on Broadway for his role in 1959's A Raisin in the Sun and, in 1964, became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role in Lilies of the Field. Many of his films address issues of race, yet some have criticized his choice of film roles for what reason? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lanford Wilson (1937)One of the founders of the "off-off-Broadway" theater movement, Wilson began writing plays in 1962 and helped found the Circle Repertory Company in 1969. His plays frequently address themes of decay, solitude, and loss, and are known for their realistic dialogue in which monologue, conversation, and direct audience address overlap. His Pulitzer Prize-winning Talley's Folly depicts the post-Vietnam War world of a Southern family. What Russian work did he translate for the stage? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Accursed be he that first invented war.Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in a/the flash of an/the eye— So quickly as to seem almost imperceptible (i.e., in the space of time it takes a person to blink). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) (2017)Also known as Sheer Thursday or Holy Thursday, this is the day preceding Good Friday. It commemorates Jesus' institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, celebrated by Christians since the middle of the fourth century. The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion still celebrate the rites of Maundy Thursday, which may include handing out special coins known as "Maundy money" to the aged and the poor, instead of footwashing. Also on this day, the sacramental Holy Oils, or chrism, are blessed. More... | |
| In the News | |
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For Smokers, Finding a Job Is HarderUnemployed smokers have more difficulty finding a job - and when they do find one, they tend to earn less than their smoke-free counterparts, a study suggests. Among unemployed people in the San Francisco Bay Area, nonsmokers were 30 percent more likely ... More... | |