Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, May 17, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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mettlesome
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Lake BaikalAt 12,160 sq mi (31,494 sq km), Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia. It is also the world's deepest lake, with a maximum depth of 5,714 ft (1,742 m). Located in southern Siberia, the clear, oxygen-rich waters are home to a wide range of aquatic plants and creatures, including such unusual species as the world's only freshwater seal, and can sustain animal life more than 5,200 ft (1,600 m) below the surface. What percent of the world's surface freshwater is held in Lake Baikal? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Muhammad Ali Becomes Wali of Egypt (1805)Four years after Ali, an Ottoman army commander, helped drive Napoleon from Ottoman-ruled Egypt, he was named wali—governor—of Egypt. He helped modernize Egypt and attempted to secure its independence. Though unsuccessful, his efforts established his progeny as the rulers of Egypt and Sudan for nearly 150 years and rendered Egypt a de facto independent state. He is thus considered one of the fathers of modern Egypt. How did Ali trick Egypt's Mamluk leaders into walking into a massacre? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Caroline of Brunswick (1768)Caroline wed her cousin, George IV, the future king of England, in 1795. The marriage was an unhappy one, and soon after Caroline bore George a daughter, they separated. The two were almost certainly involved in adulterous relationships thereafter—George had even been secretly, and illegally, married to another woman when he wed Caroline—yet it was Caroline whose infidelities sparked an investigation. George became king in 1820. What happened when Caroline tried to claim her rights as queen? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 No country is so wild and difficult but men will make it a theater of war.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Norway Constitution Day (2018)May 17, 1814, marks both Norway's declaration of independence from Sweden and the day on which its constitution was signed. This day remains the great spring festival in Norway, and today it is celebrated primarily by young people.The children's procession in Oslo, the capital city, is the largest of many school parades throughout the country. Marching behind their school bands and banners, the children pass under the balcony of the Royal Palace in salute to the king. Everyone joins in the procession, waving Norwegian flags. More... | |