Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, September 20, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cupidity
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Language: What Is It?Humans are the only creatures to use a form of communication that scholars consider "language"—a system of spoken sounds or conventional symbols that communicates thought. Although some animals display similar social behavior, linguists are reluctant to term it language, instead describing it as "animal communication." Still, some animals have been taught certain features of human language. Why are most animal languages considered "closed"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Is Launched (1967)By the time Cunard's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, ocean liner was built, airplanes had already largely supplanted ships for transatlantic travel. Thus, the vessel needed to be more efficient and versatile than her predecessors in the fleet. During her 39 years in service, she completed 806 transatlantic crossings, ferrying 2.5 million passengers across nearly six million miles of ocean. During what war was she pressed into service as a troop carrier? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elizabeth Kenny (1880)After breaking her wrist as a young girl, Kenny developed an interest in medicine and eventually became a nurse. While treating polio victims in her native Australia, she devised a treatment using hot compresses and passive exercise that differed drastically from the usual approach of immobilization. Kenny later brought her controversial treatment to the US, where it was initially met with skepticism but was ultimately accepted. What actor attributes his recovery from polio to these treatments? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Carthaginians and Romans Fiesta (2017)Cartegena, located on the Mediterranean Sea in southeastern Spain, is an ancient city steeped in the history of the Carthaginian and Roman Empires. Today, for 10 days in late September, thousands of local people celebrate the Carthaginians and Romans Fiesta by dressing in period costume and reenacting this pivotal era in history. The festivities open with a ceremonial lighting of a sacred fire, and over the next several days, festival attendees witness a series of reenactments, including a Roman circus and the victorious march by the Roman Legions through the streets of Cartegena. More... | |