Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
contrivance Definition: (noun) An elaborate or deceitful plan or expedient. Synonyms: stratagem, plan, design, measure, scheme, trick, plot, dodge, expedient, ruse, artifice, machination Usage: This "shortage" is nothing more than a contrivance to raise prices.

Article of the Day

Ha-Ha In garden design, a ha-ha is a trench that forms a physical barrier, usually to keep out livestock, without interrupting the view or aesthetics of the garden. Before the advent of mechanical lawnmowers, the ha-ha—also called a sunk fence—ensured that grazing sheep trimmed outside grasses without destroying the lawn. In 2005, the Washington Monument was surrounded by a ha-ha for security purposes. How, according to English writer Horace Walpole, did the ha-ha supposedly get its name? More...

This Day in History

Egyptian Revolution of 1952 Begins (1952) The Egyptian Revolution was a coup d'état led by a group of army officers that overthrew Egypt's King Farouk I. Organized by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the "Free Officers Movement" decried the Egyptian monarchy as corrupt, pro-British, and ineffective and was incensed by Egypt's defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Days after the coup began, Farouk abdicated and General Muhammad Naguib took over as leader of Egypt. The monarchy was later abolished, and a republic was declared. What became of the king? More...

Today's Birthday

Emil Jannings (1884) Jannings was an acclaimed silent film actor who, in 1929, won an Academy Award for best actor—becoming the first person presented with an Oscar. He earned the award for his performances in two films, one of which, The Way of All Flesh, is now considered a "lost film" since no copies of it are known to exist. The advent of sound in film effectively ended his Hollywood career, as he had a thick German accent. What scandalous association doomed any chance he later had of making a comeback? More...

Quotation of the Day
Treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends; they wound those who resort to them worse than their enemies. Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

Idiom of the Day
over the hills and far away — To or at some distant, remote point or location. More...

Today's Holiday

Warei Taisai (2025) This Japanese festival is held in Uwajimay in late July. Hundreds of ships dock in the harbor, all decorated with flags. In town, there is the parade of the Ushioni, a creature that looks like a combination of a whale and a dragon that is carried through the streets by 15 to 20 young people. Another festival highlight is the Hashiri-komi ceremony, a procession of young people carrying portable shrines called mikoshi into the sea while rockets explode all around them. The Warei Tasai festival dates back to the 18th century and is the highlight of the summer festival season in Ehime Prefecture. More...