Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
foramen Definition: (noun) An opening or orifice, as in a bone or in the covering of the ovule of a plant. Synonyms: hiatus Usage: The tribe made necklaces by passing string through the foramens of fang-shaped bones.

Article of the Day

Chives Chives grow wild throughout most of the northern hemisphere, forming perennial clumps about 5 in (12 cm) high. Chives consist of an underground bulb, long hollow tubular leaves, and globe-shaped purple flower heads. They are the mildest and smallest member of the onion family and lack the bitterness of raw onions. Their leaves are often used as a garnish for salads or to flavor foods such as fish, potatoes, and soup. What effect does eating chives have on the circulatory system? 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
Considering the unforeseen events of this world, we should be taught that no human condition should inspire men with absolute despair. Henry Fielding (1707-1754)

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

Today's Holiday

St. Stephen's Day (Ireland) (2024) On this day in c. 35, St. Stephen became the first Christian martyr. He was denounced as a blasphemer by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council in ancient Palestine, and stoned to death. In many countries, St. Stephen's Day is celebrated as an extra Christmas holiday. In Ireland, boys with blackened faces carrying a paper wren go about begging and "hunting the wren." The hunting of the wren is most likely a carryover from an old belief that the robin, symbolizing the New Year, killed the wren, symbolizing the Old, at the turning of the year. More...