Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
Definition: ()

Article of the Day

The Phalanx The phalanx was an ancient formation of infantry in which soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder in rows of eight or 16, forming a solid block that could sweep through the more dispersed ranks of the enemy. First used by the Sumerians and fully developed by the ancient Greeks, the phalanx reached its apex when Philip II and Alexander the Great used the great Macedonian phalanx to conquer all of Greece and the Middle East. Soldiers in their phalanxes were armed with the sarissa, which was what? More...

This Day in History

Treaty of Portsmouth Ends Russo-Japanese War (1905) The Russo-Japanese War—fought over territorial claims in East Asia—was a costly endeavor both monetarily and in terms of lives lost, and both sides soon realized the need for peace. With US President Theodore Roosevelt acting as a mediator, Russian and Japanese representatives met at a US naval base near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The resulting treaty marked the temporary decline of Russian power in East Asia and the emergence of Japan as a regional power. What territory did both agree to cede? More...

Today's Birthday

Arthur Koestler (1905) Born in Hungary, Koestler was an influential Communist journalist in Berlin in the 1930s. He was captured by fascist forces while on assignment during the Spanish Civil War and was later held in a concentration camp after the German invasion of France. In 1940, inspired by his break with Communism, he published his most important novel, Darkness at Noon, an examination of the moral dangers of totalitarianism. How did the terminally ill Koestler show his support for voluntary euthanasia? More...

Quotation of the Day
Thank goodness...I was never sent to school...it would have rubbed off some of the originality. Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

Idiom of the Day
sleep rough — To sleep outside at night, usually because one has no home or shelter. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. More...

Today's Holiday

Ginseng Festival (2025) This festival is a celebration of ginseng in Fusong, a county in the Changbai Mountains of China and the largest ginseng grower in the country. The people of Fusong have traditionally celebrated the ginseng harvest, and, in 1987, the government officially set aside three days for both a festival and a trade fair of ginseng products. The festival features performances of yangko, dragon, and lion dances; story-telling parties with a ginseng theme; art and photo exhibits; and a fireworks display. More...