Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, August 22, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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embrocation
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining BracketsBrackets ( [ ] ) are similar to parentheses in that they are used to contain information that does not impact the overall grammatical structure of the sentence. What are brackets usually used to indicate within quoted speech? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Tomás de TorquemadaA Dominican prior, Torquemada grew close to Ferdinand II and Isabella I of the newly created kingdom of Spain, becoming their confessor and advisor. He was appointed Inquisitor General in 1483. Remembered for his cruelty, he owes his reputation to the harsh rules of procedure that he devised for the Spanish Inquisition and to the rigor with which he had them enforced. He was largely instrumental in bringing about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. What limited his power in 1494? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The First Geneva Convention Is Signed (1864)After witnessing firsthand the suffering of thousands of wounded soldiers left without aid on a battlefield in Italy, Jean-Henri Dunant returned to his native Switzerland and began campaigning for the humane treatment of war wounded. This prompted an international conference that resulted in the First Geneva Convention, an international agreement protecting neutral medical personnel and wounded soldiers. The Red Cross was also founded as a direct result of his efforts. What battle inspired him? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908)Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who is considered the father of photojournalism. His works, which were unmanipulated and achieved with simple techniques, are remarkable for their flawless capture of a situation's "decisive moment." He served in World War II and escaped a Nazi prison camp after three years to dig up a camera he had previously buried. He hated being photographed and was fiercely private. He claimed to have confided his secrets in someone he would never meet again. Who? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.Victor Hugo (1802-1885) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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put the hammer down— To press down the accelerator (of an automobile) as far as possible; to accelerate to or travel at an automobile's maximum speed. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Hunterdon 4-H and Agricultural Fair (2023)The New Jersey Agricultural Fair, held in Flemington, New Jersey, at the end of August, is a traditional agricultural fair that was started by a group of local farmers in 1856, making it one of the oldest state fairs in the country. It features a statewide 4-H lamb show and sale, a tractor pull, a horse and pony pull, and all types of car racing (mini-stocks, modified stocks, midgets, and super sprints). The fair also offers programs and exhibits of flowers, the 4-H organization, nurserymen, and various commercial enterprises. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pillargnomon, gnomonics - A gnomon is the pillar or rod that casts a shadow on a sundial; gnomonics is the art or science of dialing or of constructing dials to show the hour of the day by the shadow of a gnomon. More... pilaster - First referred to a square or rectangular column or pillar. More... pillar - From Latin pila, "pillar," the source of compile, pilaster, and pile. More... column - Its underlying notion is of "height, command, extremity," and it comes from Latin columna, "pillar," which probably came from columen/culmen, "top, summit." More... | |