Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 6, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
apropos
| |||||||
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 BioluminescenceFireflies light up due to bioluminescence: the ability of living organisms to convert chemical energy to light energy. Bioluminescence is also exhibited by some fungi, mollusks, and worms, and bioluminescent fish are common in the ocean's depths, likely because the light aids in species recognition in the darkness. Other animals use luminescence in courtship and mating, to divert predators, or to attract prey. Why is most marine bioluminescence in the blue and green part of the spectrum? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 The Munich Air Disaster (1958)In 1958, a British European Airways airliner carrying the Manchester United soccer team along with a number of staff members, supporters, and journalists crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Germany's Munich-Riem airport. Twenty-three of the 44 passengers on board died in the disaster. There was speculation that the club would have to fold, but the threadbare team completed the season, and a rebuilt Manchester United won the European cup in what year? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Mary Leakey (1913)The daughter of an artist, Leakey had little formal education, but her love of archaeology led her to work on excavations, initially as an illustrator. Digging in Africa—often with her husband, fellow archaeologist Louis Leakey—she made some of anthropology's most significant finds, including a 20-million-year-old skull and a set of hominid footprints preserved in volcanic ash. When she was a youth, what incident resulted in her being expelled from a convent school for the second time? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won.Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Sàmi National Holiday (2021)The Sàmi people are indigenous to the arctic area of the Nordic countries. February 6 is recognized as Sàmi National Holiday in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. This day is full of activities that celebrate the Sàmi culture. First celebrated in 1993, it has become a popular event and a time for the indigenous Sàmi people to celebrate their cultural identity. More... | |