Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
tempestuous Definition: (adjective) As if showing violent anger. Synonyms: angry, furious, raging, wild Usage: The raging sea and tempestuous winds indicated that a big storm was coming.

Article of the Day

Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. First described in 1906, the disease is characterized by abnormal accumulation of plaques and malformed nerve cells. The disease usually affects people over age 65; short-term memory loss is an early symptom. The cause of Alzheimer's is not known, and, as yet, there is no known cure. How do chess and crossword puzzles factor into Alzheimer's prevention? More...

This Day in History

Isaac Singer Granted Patent for Sewing Machine (1851) Before the advent of the sewing machine, sewing was a laborious task. Singer's 1851 sewing machine patent made him a very rich man. Several other people laid claim to having invented the sewing machine, notably Elias Howe, who won a lawsuit against Singer for infringement. Nevertheless, Singer's company was already well established and was able to pool its patents with other claimants to avoid litigation. At times, Singer used alternate names to accomplish what scandalous feat? More...

Today's Birthday

Ross and Norris McWhirter (1925) In 1954, a few years after identical twins Norris and Ross McWhirter founded a London fact-finding agency, they met a director of the Guinness brewing company, Sir Hugh Beaver, who commissioned a compilation of world records that was intended to settle bar-room disputes. The first edition of the McWhirters' Guinness Book of Records was given to bars for free as a marketing gimmick, but the book quickly became a phenomenal success. In 1975, Ross was assassinated. Why? More...

Quotation of the Day
If you want to be happy, be. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Idiom of the Day
quake like a leaf — To tremble violently with fear or nervousness. More...

Today's Holiday
Queen's Birthday (Thailand) (2025) The Queen's Birthday is a nationwide celebration in Thailand of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit (b. 1932). Throughout the country, buildings are decorated to honor the queen, but the most splendid are in Bangkok, where buildings and streets are brilliant with colored lights. More...