Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
vituperation Definition: (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter, deep-seated ill will. Synonyms: invective, vitriol Usage: From one open shop came the sound of blows and vituperation, and just as the officer came up to it a man in a gray coat with a shaven head was flung out violently.

Article of the Day

The Crocodile Bird The Egyptian plover is commonly called the "crocodile bird" because of a legend attributed to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. Supposedly, these birds would pick scraps from the teeth of crocodiles, and, in exchange for the dental service, grateful crocodiles would refrain from eating the plovers. Despite anecdotal evidence, the legend is unconfirmed. Instead of being incubated, plover eggs are buried beneath a small layer of warm sand. By what unusual method do plover chicks drink water? More...

This Day in History

College Board Administers the First SAT Exam (1926) The SAT is a standardized test used in college admissions in the US. Developed by Carl Brigham, a Princeton psychologist who worked on the US Army's IQ test, the first Scholastic Aptitude Test was administered in 1926 to over 8,000 test-takers—60% of whom were male. Criticized as being biased toward whites, males, and the middle class, the exam has been modified over the years to improve fairness. Still, its value as a predictor of success in college is debated. What does "SAT" stand for today? More...

Today's Birthday

Alan Mathison Turing (1912) Turing was a groundbreaking English mathematician and logician who worked on artificial intelligence (AI), among other things. He created the Turing test to determine whether a computer is capable of humanlike thought. His papers on the subject are widely acknowledged as the foundation of research in AI. He also did valuable work in cryptography during WWII, helping to break the German Enigma code. In the midst of his pioneering work, Turing committed suicide after being convicted of what crime? More...

Quotation of the Day
If any question why we died, tell them, because our fathers lied. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

Idiom of the Day
be not worth a brass farthing — To be completely worthless or useless; to have little or no value. Refers to farthings (obsolete British units of currency, worth one-quarter of a penny), formerly made from a copper alloy (brass). Primarily heard in UK. More...

Today's Holiday

Stonehenge Summer Solstice Ceremony (2025) Stonehenge, the ancient stone circle located in Wiltshire, England, is believed to have been built between about 3050 and 1600 BCE. At the Summer Solstice, when viewed from the center of the monument, the sun rises through the entrance and just between two of the large stones. Today, modern Druids and other Neopagans gather at Stonehenge for Summer Solstice ceremonies. Wearing white robes and scarlet hoods, when the first rays of the rising sun shine on the Altar Stone, they walk in procession around the circle, gathering at the Altar Stone to recite prayers and salute the rising sun. More...