Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, April 1, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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gratify
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Infinitives as Non-Finite VerbsAn infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. It is "unmarked" (which means that it is not conjugated for tense or person), and it is preceded by the particle "to." Infinitives are also known as non-finite verbs. What does that mean? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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.jpg) Master of the Playing CardsThe Master of the Playing Cards lived in Germany in the mid-1400s and is today recognized as the first great printmaking expert. Unusually, he was likely an artist as well as an engraver, and he possessed a distinctive artistic style. Attempts to identify him have failed. He is noted for a set of playing cards that feature finely detailed, realistic illustrations. The cards are organized into five suits, which differ entirely from the four suits used in playing cards today. What were they? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Apple Inc. Is Formed (1976)Apple Computer, Inc., was the first successful personal computer company. The company has its roots in the Jobs family's garage, where cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled the first Apple computer. Consisting of a handmade motherboard, the Apple I did not even include a monitor or keyboard. The Apple II, introduced the next year with a plastic case and color graphics, launched Apple to success. By 1980, Apple had earned more than $100 million. How much did an Apple I cost in 1976? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lon Chaney (1883)Chaney was an American silent-film actor. Born to parents who were both deaf and mute, he learned to express himself through pantomime at an early age. He moved to Hollywood in 1912 and became one of the biggest stars of the time, appearing in more than 150 silent films. Known as "the man of a thousand faces," he masterfully used makeup to play tortured, grotesque characters in horror films such as The Phantom of the Opera. How did fake snow made of corn flakes contribute to his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It was on one of those mornings, common in early spring, when the year, fickle and changeable in its youth like all other created things, is undecided whether to step backward into winter or forward into summer.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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mouth-breathing— (used before a noun) Dimwitted, foolish, or stupid; of low or stunted intelligence. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 April Fools' Day (2025)There are many names for this day, just as there are many practical jokes to play on the unsuspecting. The simplest pranks usually involve children who, for example, tell each other that their shoelaces are undone and then cry "April Fool!" when the victims glance at their feet. Sometimes the media broadcast fictitious news items. British television, for example, once showed Italian farmers "harvesting" spaghetti from trees. The French call it Fooling the April Fish Day (the fool being the poisson d'avril) and try to pin a paper fish on someone's back without getting caught. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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