Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, November 1, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cirque
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The MaasaiThe Maasai are a largely nomadic pastoral people whose territory is divided between Tanzania and Kenya. Their distinctive customs and dress and their proximity to many East African game parks have made them one of the most internationally well-known African ethnic groups. The Maasai measure wealth in terms of cattle and children, rather than money, and someone who has plenty of one but not the other is considered poor. How does killing lions factor into traditional Maasai culture? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ivy Mike: First Successful Test of a Hydrogen Bomb (1952)Years before the atomic bomb was developed, Edward Teller, Enrico Fermi, and other American nuclear physicists set their sights on developing a weapon with even greater destructive potential—the hydrogen bomb. Their designs would not be realized, however, until after the development of the A-bomb, which is needed to generate the temperatures required to initiate H-bombs' fusion reactions. How did Teller, thousands of miles away during the "Ivy Mike" test, know almost immediately of its success? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Antonio Canova (1757)Canova was an Italian sculptor who was extremely influential in the development of neoclassicism. He produced his first important sculpture, Daedalus and Icarus, in 1779 and was accused of making plaster casts from live models because his figures were so realistic. Among his most important commissions were the tombs of Popes Clement XIII and Clement XIV. In 1802, he became court sculptor to Napoleon I in Paris. How did his love of sculpting ultimately contribute to his death in 1822? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Samhain (2016)This ancient Celtic harvest festival was celebrated at the beginning of winter. According to Celtic folklore, this was the day when the souls of the dead and other supernatural entities gathered and would have access to the human realm—thus giving rise to the fears about ghosts and goblins that we now associate with Halloween, or Samhain Eve. More... | |