Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
calcareous Definition: (adjective) Of, containing, or resembling calcium carbonate. Synonyms: chalky Usage: Immense accumulations of bird-guano gave the sides of Mount Mendif the appearance of calcareous rocks.

Article of the Day

Antichess Also known as suicide chess or loser's chess, antichess is a variation on the traditional game, but one in which the objective is to get all of one's own pieces captured. Participants are compelled to capture an opponent's pieces whenever the opportunity arises, while earnestly attempting to maneuver their own pieces into hopelessly vulnerable positions. There is no check or checkmate. A player wins by losing all of their pieces, including the king. How can a stalemate be resolved? More...

This Day in History

Liliuokalani Becomes Hawaii's Last Monarch (1891) Liliuokalani ascended the throne in 1891 upon the death of her brother, King Kalakaua. Her refusal to recognize the constitutional changes inaugurated in 1887 precipitated a revolt, fostered largely by sugar planters—mostly American residents of Hawaii—that led to her dethronement early in 1893 and the establishment of a provisional government. Failing in an attempt to regain the throne in 1895, she formally renounced her royal claims. What well-known song was composed by Liliuokalani? More...

Today's Birthday

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688) Swedenborg was a Swedish scientist, theologian, and mystic. He studied almost every field of scientific investigation and wrote copiously, publishing Sweden's first scientific journal and anticipating many discoveries and inventions. However, his writing gradually shifted toward philosophy and metaphysics. In 1744, he claimed to have had a divine vision. He spent the rest of his career interpreting the Bible and relating what he had seen in his visions, and he called himself a servant of whom? More...

Quotation of the Day
If you can get nothing better out of the world, get a good dinner out of it, at least. Herman Melville (1819-1891)

Idiom of the Day
luck in — To be very lucky or fortunate; to experience particularly good luck. (A nonstandard variant of "luck out.") More...

Today's Holiday

Thomas Paine Day (2024) Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was a propagandist and humanitarian whose influential pamphlet, Common Sense, is credited with persuading the American colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain. On January 29, Paine's birthday, he is honored by members of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association in New Rochelle, New York. They lay a wreath at his monument in the Thomas Paine Memorial Museum, which houses some of his letters and personal effects. The cottage in which Paine lived is only a short walk away. More...