Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, July 24, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hangdog
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| Article of the Day | |
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 William of OckhamBorn around 1285, William of Ockham was an English Franciscan philosopher, theologian, and political writer. He is remembered as the originator of the medieval rule of logical economy known as Ockham's razor, the doctrine that unnecessary assumptions should be avoided in formulating hypotheses. He was excommunicated by Pope John XXII for his defense of the Franciscan notion of poverty and the rights of the empire against the papacy. He died in Bavaria. How did he come to be there? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Ascent of the Eiger's North Face (1938)Switzerland's Eiger mountain was first summited in 1858, but the sheer north face of the 13,025-foot (3,970-m) Alpine peak was not successfully climbed until 1938, when two independent pairs of climbers met on the face, joined forces, and reached the summit as a team. It has been climbed many times since, sadly with many fatalities, which, due to the cliff's high visibility, occur in full view of nearby villages. Since 1935, how many people have died climbing the Eiger's so-called Murder Wall? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Amelia Mary Earhart (1897)After attending an air show in 1920, Earhart, who had previously worked as a military nurse and a social worker, decided she wanted to become a pilot. She bought her first plane the following year. In 1928, she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger, and four years later, she became the first female pilot to make the trip solo. In 1937, her plane mysteriously vanished over the Pacific as she and a copilot attempted to circumnavigate the globe. What happened to them? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Grammar, n.: A system of pitfalls thoughtfully prepared for the feet for the self-made man, along the path by which he advances to distinction.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cornouaille Festival (2020)The Celtic heritage of the Breton people comes alive every year in Quimper, a town in the district of Cornouaille. Located in Brittany, a region in northwestern France, Quimper has hosted this festival of traditional dance, music, storytelling, food, and games for more than 70 years. People dress in Breton costumes, which include elaborate lace bonnets for the women and shallow, brimmed hats for the men. Many of Brittany's inhabitants still speak the ancient Celtic language brought to the region by its first settlers some 2,500 years ago. More... | |