Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 11, 2015)Word of the Day | |||||||
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blithe
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Article of the Day | |
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Robben IslandRobben Island is a mile-wide island off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. Stone-age people lived there thousands of years ago when sea levels were lower and the area was easily accessible. Starting in the late 17th century, the island was used to isolate lepers and, later, political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela, who was held there from 1964 to 1982. In the 1600s, a ship laden with millions of dollars worth of gold sank off the island's coast. Why has no one recovered the treasure? More... |
This Day in History | |
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The Le Mans Disaster (1955)The legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race was created in 1923, when cars' top speeds hovered around 60 mph (97 km/h). Thirty years later, top speeds had more than tripled, with little change to the course. In the 1955 race, a narrow pass near the pit stop caused racer Pierre Levegh to hit another car from behind while traveling at about 150 mph (240 km/h). Levegh's Mercedes went airborne, and parts flew into the stands, killing Levegh and more than 80 spectators. Why did the race continue? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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![]() Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett (1847)An English suffragist and social reformer, Fawcett rejected the violent acts of some of her contemporaries in the suffrage movement, believing that the enfranchisement of women could be achieved by peaceful means. Her efforts as president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies from 1897 to 1919 are considered to have been instrumental in earning women over 30 in the UK the right to vote in 1918. Her older sister, Elizabeth, was the first woman licensed to do what in Britain? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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![]() Rene Descartes (1596-1650) |
Today's Holiday | |
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![]() Queen's Birthday (Australia, except for the Western state) (2018)Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but her birthday is officially observed in June by proclamation each year. But in Australia, Queen's Birthday is a national holiday celebrated on the second Monday in June (except Western Australia). It was first observed there in 1788, not long after the country was settled. June 4, the birthday of King George III, was set aside at that time as a holiday for convicts and settlers. After George V died in 1936, a date close to his birthday (June 3) was set aside to honor the reigning king or queen. More... |