Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
threnody Definition: (noun) A poem or song of mourning or lamentation. Synonyms: coronach, dirge, requiem, lament Usage: He had made all the plans for his funeral, choosing and purchasing a casket and even selecting the threnody he wanted played.

Article of the Day

Witch Hazel Witch hazel refers to a family of trees and shrubs found in Japan, China, and North America. They are deciduous shrubs that usually grow 10-26 ft (3-8 m) tall but can reach 40 ft (12 m). The fruit of the witch hazel is a two-parted capsule, 1 cm long, that bursts in Autumn and shoots seeds up to 33 ft (10 m) away. The plant's hard wood is used in cabinet making, and an astringent is extracted from its bark and leaves. The plant's branches have been used in what form of divination? More...

This Day in History

Samantha Smith Visits the Soviet Union (1983) In 1982, Samantha Smith, a 10-year-old American girl, wrote a letter to the newly elected leader of the USSR, Yuri Andropov, asking if he intended to start a war. Andropov replied personally. Expressing a desire for lasting peace with the US, he invited Smith to visit. The following July, she and her parents spent two weeks in the USSR amidst a media frenzy that hailed her as a goodwill ambassador. After her death in a plane crash two years later, she was honored by both nations in what ways? More...

Today's Birthday

Gustav Mahler (1860) Mahler was an Austrian composer and conductor. After studying in Vienna, he conducted at numerous prominent opera houses where his high standards became legendary, but his refusal to compromise aroused intense personal opposition. He composed in his free time, mostly during the summer, and completed nine symphonies in his lifetime. The biggest success of his career—the 1910 premiere of his eighth symphony—was overshadowed by Mahler's discovery of his wife's affair with what famous architect? More...

Quotation of the Day
A mother is a mother still, The holiest thing alive. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Idiom of the Day
on the gravy train — In a state, position, or job where one makes an excessive amount of money without expending much or any effort. More...

Today's Holiday
Solomon Islands Independence Day (2024) The Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific gained independence from Britain on this day in 1978. They had been under British control since 1900. Independence Day is a national holiday throughout the islands. More...