Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 4, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 JanissariesTaking their name from the Turkish yeniçeri—meaning "new troop"—Janissaries were elite members of the Ottoman Empire's army from the late 14th to the early 19th century. Originally formed using of prisoners of war, the corps later "recruited" members through a "blood tax" known as devsirme, which required Balkan vassals to hand over Christian youths to be converted to Islam and placed in the service of the sultan. What early firearms were commonly used by the Janissaries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 American Colonies Declare Independence (1776)On June 11, 1776, one year into the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson and other delegates of the Continental Congress began drafting a formal declaration of their intent to form a new nation. Their final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congress on July 4, a date that would become a national holiday. Most of the congressional delegates signed it that August. Why did John Adams predict that July 2nd—not the 4th—would be considered the greatest day in US history? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Calvin Coolidge (1872)In 1920, Coolidge was elected vice president of the US under Warren G. Harding, who died in 1923—making Coolidge president. Untouched by the scandals of the Harding administration, Coolidge was directly elected president in 1924. He was a popular and deliberately hands-off leader, and though he was an effective public speaker, he was a man of few words when out of the spotlight. Upon hearing that "Silent Cal" had died in 1933, writer Dorothy Parker is said to have delivered what famous remark? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All idealization makes life poorer. To beautify it is to take away its character of complexity—it is to destroy it.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Esplanade Concerts (2020)Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979), a violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, started this outdoor concert series on July 4, 1929. Held at the Hatch Memorial Shell since 1940, the concerts are free, and it is not uncommon for hundreds of thousands to gather on the grassy riverbank or listen to the concerts from boats moored in the Charles River lagoon for the Fourth of July holiday. A musically synchronized fireworks display follows the concert. More... | |