Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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bugbear
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The ShengAlso called a syrinx or panpipes, the sheng is a primitive wind instrument consisting of a series of short hollow reeds or pipes graduated in length by the musical scale and fastened side by side. Of Chinese origin, the instrument became known to the Greeks, who linked its origin to the legend of the nymph Syrinx, said to have been transformed into reeds to escape the amorous pursuit of the god Pan. What composers have used the sheng in their compositions? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco Is Assassinated (1973)When Spanish leader Francisco Franco appointed Carrero Blanco to the office of prime minister in 1973, the new premier was expected to uphold Franco's regime—including a plan to eventually restore the Spanish monarchy. Months later, Carrero Blanco was killed by a bomb that exploded under his car as he was leaving mass in Madrid. Though Spain may have moved closer to democracy after Carrero Blanco's death, that was not necessarily the intended goal of the bombing. Who was responsible for it? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Edwin Abbott (1838)Abbott was an English theologian, schoolmaster, and author. He wrote educational textbooks, theological works, and a biography of Francis Bacon, and his 1870 Shakespearian Grammar became a permanent fixture of English philology. However, his most famous work is a playfully inventive 1884 novella best described as "mathematical fiction." The humorous and satirical tale has enjoyed an enduring popularity, particularly among mathematicians and students. What is the name of the novella? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Feast, n.: A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for abstemiousness.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade (2020)Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade is a nightly parade of boats at Newport Beach, California. More than 150 boats of all kinds, wildly decorated with lights depicting Santa Claus, snowmen, and other symbols of winter, join the parade. Some boats carry huge inflated figures and many play music. The floating parades started in 1908 as a Fourth of July spectacular. In 1946, the city put a tree and carolers on a barge and towed it around the harbor, and that began the current December parades. Today, about a million spectators watch them during the festival. More... | |