Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
android Definition: (noun) An automaton that resembles a human being. Synonyms: humanoid, mechanical man Usage: I programmed the android to mimic my expressions, but something about its subtly inhuman smile leaves me, a scientist, unsettled.

Article of the Day

Iranian Pottery A crossroads of ancient civilizations and home to some of the world's oldest human settlements, Iran has a rich and storied history. Modern-day excavations have uncovered an almost continuous record of that history in the form of pottery, which transformed stylistically as a reaction to cultural and political changes. For example, following the 13th-century Mongol domination of Persia, Islamic pottery clearly began exhibiting a Chinese influence. During which dynasty were ceramic coffins used? More...

This Day in History

Boston Red Sox Sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees (1919) Between 1914 and 1919, Ruth compiled an outstanding pitching record, but because pitchers do not play in every game, he was shifted to the outfield so that his powerful hitting could be used consistently. The following season, he was sold to the New York Yankees, and his batting feats and public personality helped salvage baseball's popularity, which had been damaged by the Black Sox scandal. According to legend, Ruth was sold by the owner of the Red Sox in order to finance what? More...

Today's Birthday

George Dewey (1837) Dewey was an American admiral and a hero of the Battle of Manila. He graduated from the US Naval Academy and served with Union naval forces in the American Civil War. In the Spanish-American War (1898), his Asiatic Squadron sailed to the Philippines and defeated the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay, destroying eight Spanish ships in six hours and suffering only one American fatality. His victory led to the US acquisition of the Philippines. What rank did Congress create for him in 1899? More...

Quotation of the Day
A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others. Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

Idiom of the Day
long pig — obsolete Human flesh when eaten as food by cannibals. More...

Today's Holiday

Kwanzaa (2020) Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of family and black culture. Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Families gather in the evenings to discuss the principle of the day, and then light a black, red, or green candle and place it in a candleholder called a kinara. On the evening of Dec. 31, families join for a feast called the karamu. More...