Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, March 14, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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platitude
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Vein of LoveAccording to tradition, the vena amoris, or "vein of love," runs directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand. This belief has been cited in Western cultures as one reason why engagement and wedding rings are worn on that finger. The earliest known use of the phrase is found in A Treatise of Spousal or Matrimonial Contracts, published in 1686 by Henry Swinburne, who claims the concept derives from what ancient culture? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin Awarded Patent (1794)By the end of the 18th century, the mechanization of fabric production in England had created a huge demand for US cotton, but cotton production was hampered by the large amount of manual labor required to remove the sticky seeds from the raw fiber. Whitney's cotton gin solved this problem, performing the work mechanically and quickly. Cotton production in the US skyrocketed, as did the slave population—which quadrupled by 1850. Why was Whitney unable to profit from his invention? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ferdinand Hodler (1853)By the time Hodler was a teenager, tuberculosis had killed much of his family. Having been trained in the basics of painting by his stepfather, the orphaned Hodler—imbued with a strong sense of mortality—became one of the most important Swiss painters of his time. He evolved a powerful means of expression with strong rhythmic patterns and a tight linear structure, which he called "parallelism." In the months leading up to January of 1915, Hodler made a series of paintings documenting what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Heroes Day (2018)St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a nation comprised of a group of more than 30 islands in the Caribbean Sea, with St. Vincent being the largest. March 14 is National Heroes Day, when the country honors their national hero, Chief Joseph Chatoyer. He led the nation in preventing the Europeans from colonizing the islands. On March 14, 1795, Chatoyer was killed by British troops at Dorsetshire Hill. A monument honoring Chatoyer stands on this spot; as part of the Heroes Day celebration, a wreath-laying ceremony is held at the obelisk at Dorsetshire Hill. More... | |