Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, October 24, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
verruca
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
The Two Dummy PronounsDummy pronouns are words that function grammatically as pronouns, but which do not have antecedents like normal pronouns do. What are the two dummy pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Mechanical TurkIn 1770, Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled his Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton. Dressed in a cloak and turban and seated behind a chessboard, the mannequin played chess and executed complex mathematical puzzles. The Turk performed before numerous world leaders before it was revealed to be a hoax; the cabinet beneath the chessboard, which housed the internal mechanism, actually hid a chess master who secretly operated the machine. Which French Emperor was defeated by von Kempelen's Turk? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
.svg.png) Zambia Gains Independence (1964)The area that is now Zambia came under British control in the early 1900s with the development of the copper mining industry. After decades of nationalist struggle, the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zambia. Kenneth Kaunda, a former schoolteacher who had been jailed for nationalist political activities prior to independence, became its first president. Zambia may have been the first country to do what during the Olympics? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Annie Edson Taylor (1838)On her 63rd birthday, Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The interior of the barrel was cushioned and the air was compressed with a bicycle pump. Before her trip, Taylor sent a cat over the falls in her barrel—and it lived. Days later, she drifted over the falls in the same barrel and walked away from the plunge with minor injuries. However, she did not significantly profit from the stunt. According to some accounts, her barrel was stolen by whom? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Two cheers for Democracy: one because it admits variety and two because it permits criticism.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
give (someone) the stink eye— To make a facial expression of unreserved disgust, contempt, disapproval, distrust, or general ill will toward someone. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 United Nations Day (2025)The international peacekeeping organization known as the United Nations was formally established on October 24, 1945, in the wake of World War II. Each member nation observes October 24, and in some places the entire week is known as United Nations Week. In the US, events taking place on this day include parades, international fairs, and dinners featuring foods from different countries. Schools frequently observe United Nations Day by holding folk festivals that teach students the music, songs, and dances of different countries. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: science fictiondroid - A robot in science fiction, it is a shortening of android. More... death ray - Was a staple of (pulp) science fiction in the mid-20th century. More... time warp - A concept that arose in the 1950s and originally applied to science fiction. More... warp speed - Alludes to the use in science fiction, especially the speed used for interstellar travel in the science fiction television series Star Trek. More... | |