Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 23, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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recliner
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Personifications of DeathThe concept of death as a sentient entity is found in nearly every society. In Western culture, death is often called the "Grim Reaper" and is depicted as a hooded, skeletal figure that carries a scythe and either guides the deceased to the next world or actually causes the victim's death—leading to tales that he can be bribed or outwitted. In the Hindu scriptures, the lord of death, Yama, rides a black buffalo and carries a lasso. In Greek mythology, death is Thanatos, the twin brother of whom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Man Causes a Sensation by Jumping off Brooklyn Bridge—Or Not (1886)The iconic Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883. Three years later, a New Yorker named Steve Brodie claimed to have survived a jump off the span, and newspapers eagerly reported the stunt, allegedly done as part of a bet. Vaulted to sudden fame, Brodie embarked on a successful stage career and opened the popular Bowery Tavern. "To pull a Brodie" even became a slang term for doing something flamboyant and dangerous, but Brodie's dubious claim about his leap was later disputed. What really happened? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Babcock (1900)Prior to his death in 2010, at age 109, Babcock was Canada's last known surviving veteran of World War I. He joined the army at 15 by lying about his age. When he was discovered to be too young for combat, he was given labor jobs and was later transferred to England, where he continued his training in the Young Soldiers Battalion. Because he never actually fought on the front lines, he was uncomfortable with his fame as a veteran. At what age did Babcock finally earn his high school diploma? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Haile Selassie's Birthday (2018)Haile Selassie I (1892-1975), emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, was born Tafari Makonnen; he became Prince (or Ras) Tafari in 1916. Among the Jamaicans known as Rastafarians, Selassie was believed to be the Messiah, and Ethiopia was identified with heaven. Ethiopians still celebrate Haile Selassie's birthday. During the years of his reign as emperor, Selassie would stand on the balcony of his palace in Addis Ababa and greet the thousands of well-wishers who gathered there on his birthday. More... | |