Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, December 16, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pugilism
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Indefinite PronounsAn indefinite pronoun is used in place of a noun without specifying a particular person or thing that is being represented. Why are many pronouns that refer to more than one—e.g., everything, everyone, much, etc.— considered singular? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Printing PressThe printing press is widely regarded as one of the most important inventions of the second millennium, one that revolutionized people's access to information and ushered in the modern age. Johannes Gutenberg, the first European to print using movable type and a press, is generally credited with the development of the process that remained the principal means of printing until the late 20th century. Which of his printed works, completed by 1455, are perhaps the most valuable books in the world? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Great White Fleet Begins Its Circumnavigation of the Globe (1907)Just seven years before the start of World War I, a fleet of 16 American battleships took part in a 14-month, round-the-world voyage ordered by US President Theodore Roosevelt as a peaceful display of American naval power. Later known as the "Great White Fleet," the ships were painted white except for the gilded scrollwork on their bows. In ports around the world, thousands of people turned out to see the ships when they arrived. Why did several of the ships make an unscheduled stop in Italy? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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_hires.jpg) Jane Austen (1775)Austen was a prominent English novelist whose writing is noted for its wit, realism, shrewd sympathy, and brilliant prose style. Though she received little public recognition in her own lifetime—her books were published anonymously—she is now regarded as one of the great masters of the English novel. Several of her works, including Pride and Prejudice, have been adapted for film. Before her death, Austen suffered from a protracted, unexplained illness. What might have caused it? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Great men are seldom over-scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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tickle (someone's) funny bone— To make someone laugh; to be humorous or amusing to someone. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Day of Reconciliation (2025)The South African legal holiday known as the Day of Reconciliation was established on December 16, 1838, in commemoration of the victory of the Voortrekkers over Dingane and the Zulus. The original name for this holiday was Dingaan's Day, then it was called Day of the Vow during apartheid. After South Africa renounced apartheid and held its first democratic election in 1994, the day remained a legal holiday but acquired a new name to reflect its new focus: promoting national unity and healing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spottedcheetah - Taken from Sanskrit citraka, "leopard," related to citra, "spotted, speckled, variegated." More... fleck - Of Scandinavian origin, it came from the adjective flecked, "spotted." More... piebald, skewbald - Piebald is being spotted with irregular patches of different colors, especially black and white; skewbald is spotted white and a color other than black. More... pinto - As in horse and beans, it is Spanish for "painted, mottled, spotted." More... | |