Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, October 31, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Leptis MagnaLeptis Magna was a prominent city of the Roman Empire whose remains are among the most spectacular and best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa. Located on the coast of what is now Libya, Leptis Magna was incorporated into the Roman Empire after the fall of Carthage, flourished under the rule of Emperor Septimius Severus—a Leptis Magna native—and eventually became a major trading post. What ancient artifacts found near the site were kept hidden for five years before being revealed in 2005? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Leiden University Library Opens in the Netherlands (1587)The city of Leiden played a prominent role in the revolt that would create an independent Dutch nation. In 1575—a year after Leiden had survived a siege by the Spanish—Prince William the Silent founded a university in the city. Today, Leiden University is the oldest in the Netherlands. Its library, once housed in a single room, is now home to a monumental collection of books, manuscripts, maps, and letters—some of which are centuries old and very rare. What was the library's first book? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Natalie Clifford Barney (1876)Though she was a writer for all of her adult life, Barney is not widely known today for her poetry, plays, novels, or epigrams. Instead, she is remembered for her strong support of female writers and for her openness about her homosexuality. For more than 60 years, she hosted an international salon at her Paris home. The well-attended gatherings frequently featured women's works. She also wrote proudly about her love of women in a way that few, if any, had since what 6th-century BCE Greek poet? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 She might hate me, and revile me, and heap indignity after indignity upon me, as she already had, until I should have hated her; but the pitiful fact remained that I loved her.Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Halloween (United States) (2018)Halloween has its ultimate origins in the ancient Celtic harvest festival Samhain, a time when people believed that the spirits of the dead roamed the earth. Children go from house to house in costume—often dressed as ghosts, skeletons, or vampires—on Halloween saying, "Trick or treat!" Though for the most part the threat is in jest, the "trick" part if they don't receive a treat may include marking the house's windows with a bar of soap or throwing eggs at it. Most receive treats in the form of candy or money. Halloween parties and parades are popular with adults as well. More... | |