Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
half-staff Definition: (noun) A position some distance below the top of a mast to which a flag is lowered in mourning or to signal distress. Synonyms: half-mast Usage: Out of respect for the fallen police officer, all government buildings flew their flags at half-staff for a week.

Article of the Day

The Amboyna Massacre The Amboyna massacre involved the torture and killing of 20 men—including 10 British East India Company employees—by agents of the Dutch East India Company in 1623. The companies were intense rivals who competed for dominance in the Maluku Islands spice trade. When the Dutch at the Amboyna trading post began to suspect the British of planning an attack, they tortured several men until they obtained confessions and then beheaded the accused for treason. What torture methods did the Dutch employ? More...

This Day in History

Star Trek Premieres (1966) Though the original Star Trek series was cancelled in its third season, the groundbreaking show—in which William Shatner's memorable Captain Kirk leads the crew of the starship Enterprise—developed a cult following of "Trekkies." Over the next four decades, the influential science-fiction franchise spawned five more Star Trek series, more than 10 feature films, and myriad conventions. Its motto, "to boldly go where no man has gone before," may have been partially copied from what source? More...

Today's Birthday

Alfred Jarry (1873) Jarry was a French writer. After exhausting the inheritance that had allowed him to move to Paris at 18, he led a life of calculated buffoonery. His 1896 farce, Ubu Roi, is considered a forerunner of theatre of the absurd and of Surrealism. It featured the grotesque Père Ubu, a repulsive and cowardly hero based on one of his former teachers. The brilliant imagery and wit of his works usually lapse into unintelligible symbolism. A heavy drinker, he died at 34. What was his last request? More...

Quotation of the Day
Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them. John Milton (1608-1674)

Idiom of the Day
salt in the/(one's) wound(s) — An aggravation that makes something unpleasant, difficult, or painful even worse. More...

Today's Holiday

Pardon of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (2025) Both religious and secular activities play a part in the Pardon of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Remedies in Lamego, Portugal. Great numbers of pilgrims climb the monumental staircase up to the baroque church, but the highlight of the festival is the triumphal procession on the last day, in which thousands of country people in local costume participate. There is also a battle of flowers, a folklore festival, fireworks, sports contests, and handicraft exhibitions. More...