Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 6, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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banality
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| Article of the Day | |
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 SupermaxSupermax prisons provide long-term, segregated housing for the most dangerous criminals. An early supermax-style prison unit opened in Australia in 1975 but was shuttered after just two years due to human rights concerns. Since then, the supermax model has been adopted by many corrections systems around the globe despite continued criticism. "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski and 9-11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui are among the most infamous US supermax inmates. What is everyday life like for them? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Gertrude Ederle Becomes First Woman to Swim across the English Channel (1926)Only five men had managed to swim across the 35-mile (56-km) English Channel by the time Ederle became the first woman to make the trip. On her second attempt, the 19-year-old Olympic medalist from America made the swim from France to England in 14 hours and 31 minutes—beating the male record-holder by two hours. Hours before Ederle reached England, the weather deteriorated. A supporter following her by boat called out and urged her to get out of the water. What was Ederle's reply? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lucille Désirée Ball (1911)Ball was the star of the tremendously popular 1950s television show I Love Lucy. Prior to her superstardom, Ball appeared in many B-movies, earning the nickname "Queen of the B's." With her rasping voice and a comic persona alternately brassy and feminine, she became the preeminent female star of the early decades of television. She and costar Desi Arnaz, married in real life and on I Love Lucy, divorced after the show ended. In what other shows and films did Ball appear? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 One can sometimes do good by being the right person in the wrong place.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be put behind bars— To be arrested and held in prison; to be serving time in prison. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Busan Sea Festival (2025)Every August since 1999, the municipal government of the seaside town of Busan in South Korea has sponsored a nine-day Sea Festival on its main beaches. The festival kicks off with an opening ceremony featuring performances by popular singers and other entertainers and culminates that night in a spectacular fireworks display. Over the course of the festival, a variety of water sports are offered, as well as the Hanbada Festival for the Disabled and championship competitions in windsurfing and beach volleyball. More... | |