Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, September 6, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Byford DolphinThe Byford Dolphin is a drilling rig operating in the North Sea. It is known for having suffered several serious accidents, most notably an explosive decompression that killed five workers in Norwegian waters in 1983. The incident eventually led to a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, which compensated the families of the divers 26 years after the tragedy, after a report blaming the accident on faulty equipment surfaced. What other accidents have occurred aboard the rig? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Dawson's Field Hijackings (1970)In 1970, Palestinian terrorists attempted to hijack five airplanes—most New York-bound flights that had originated in Europe or Israel—and rerouted three to Dawson's Field, a remote desert airstrip in Jordan. The Jordanian king responded quickly, ordering strikes on Palestinian targets. All of the hostages were eventually released. Only one person died in the hijackings—a terrorist who was shot on board one of the planes that did not make it to Jordan. What happened to the rest of the hijackers? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Catharine Beecher (1800)Beecher was an American lecturer, author, and advocate for women's education. The sister of abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe, she popularized a conservative movement to rescue women from frivolous "feminine" pursuits—by elevating and entrenching women's role in the domestic sphere. Her ideal woman was one who presided over an intelligent, cultured, well-managed household. In 1823, she founded the Hartford Female Seminary to train women to be teachers. What social change did she oppose? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Conscience is harder than our enemies,Knows more, accuses with more nicety. George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be rushed off (one's) feet— To be exceptionally busy, especially to an exhausting or exasperating degree; to be made to work very hard and very quickly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Aloha Festivals (2025)Aloha Festivals is a celebration of Hawaiian culture. Once a week-long event called Aloha Week, it's now a two-month affair with 300 events that starts in Honolulu in early September and runs through the end of October, with a week of festivities on every island of Hawaii. The celebrations include canoe races between the islands of Molokai and Oahu, coronations of royal courts as commemorations of the former Hawaiian monarchy, street parties, cultural events, parades, and pageantry. More... | |