Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
stealthy Definition: (adjective) Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. Synonyms: furtive, surreptitious, sneaky Usage: Jane thought she was being stealthy as she sneaked in past curfew, but her mother heard the door creak as soon as it opened.

Article of the Day

The Bar Kokhba Revolt Initially, the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian was judicious. In Palestine, however, he proved himself ruthless. Around 130 CE, he began enforcing Romanizing policies among the Jews under his rule. With circumcision banned, Jews barred from Jerusalem, and a Roman temple being erected on the ruins of the Jewish one, the Jews revolted. Under the leadership of Simon Bar Kokhba, hailed by some as the Messiah, the Jews rebelled and established a sovereign state. How long did it survive? More...

This Day in History

Christopher Reeve Is Paralyzed (1995) Having starred in four Superman movies beginning in 1978, Reeve was an immensely popular actor by the 1990s. He was also an avid athlete and equestrian. During an event in 1995, his horse spooked before a jump, throwing Reeve. He landed on his head and was paralyzed from the neck down. He briefly considered suicide, but instead spent the rest of his life campaigning for spinal injury research. His friend Robin Williams was the first person to make Reeve laugh after the accident. How? More...

Today's Birthday

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794) Cornelius was the patriarch of the famous Vanderbilt family. As a youth, he ferried freight and passengers in New York Harbor. As an adult, he gained control of most of the ferry lines around New York City and quickly expanded up and down the coast. He had similar success in the railroad business and died with an estate worth more than $100 million, the largest personal fortune accumulated in the US to that date. Why did Vanderbilt, who had 13 children, leave nearly everything to just one son? More...

Quotation of the Day
Let us render the tyrant no aid; let us not hold the light by which he can trace the footprints of our flying brother. Frederick Douglass (1817-1895)

Idiom of the Day
mind the gap — An audio or visual instruction used in the UK and Ireland to be careful stepping over the space between a train's carriage and the platform when boarding or disembarking. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. More...

Today's Holiday

National Reconciliation Week (2025) Australia sets aside the week between May 27 and June 3 to honor the culture and history of its Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, and to promote reconciliation and forgiveness for the treatment that these indigenous peoples have suffered at the hands of white Australians. Since it was first held in 1996, National Reconciliation Week has featured various activities designed to promote understanding between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, such as the People's Walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2000. More...