Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 21, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pastille
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Papyrus of the Nile DeltaPapyrus was an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, a wetland sedge that once flourished in the Nile Delta. Though its earliest use has been traced to Ancient Egypt, it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, inland parts of Europe, and southwest Asia. Making a sheet of papyrus involves a complex process of layering the inner piths of the stems, then hammering, drying, and polishing them. What unlikely article of clothing was made from papyrus? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Philippine Opposition Leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., Is Assassinated (1983)Aquino, leader of the Philippines' Liberal Party, was planning to run for president in 1972 when Ferdinand Marcos, the incumbent, declared martial law and had Aquino arrested on inflated charges. Aquino served eight years in prison, at one point demonstrating against his sentence with a 40-day hunger strike. In 1980, he was released to go to the US for heart-bypass surgery. After three years in exile, he returned to the Philippines and was immediately assassinated. Why had Aquino gone back? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930)The younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret was a somewhat controversial member of the royal family, mainly as a result of her turbulent love life. She called off her first engagement, to a divorcee 16 years her senior, when it became clear that marrying him would mean renouncing her right of succession. A few years later, she wed photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, but rumors of her infidelities abounded, and they eventually divorced. With whom did she supposedly stray? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 'Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Klondike Gold Discovery Day (2017)On August 17, 1896, George Washington Carmack discovered gold at Bonanza Creek in northwestern Canada's Yukon Territory. His discovery triggered a huge gold rush and an enormous influx of American miners and traders. To this day, mining remains the area's most important industry. Also known as Discovery Day, this important event in Canada's history is observed as a public holiday in the Yukon. The city of Dawson celebrates with various special events, including a parade, musical entertainment, bathtub races, and, of course, panning for gold. More... | |