Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 7, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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fissure
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| Article of the Day | |
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 MillefioriMillefiori is a glassmaking technique in which a bundle of colored glass rods is heated, fused, drawn out thinly, and then cut to create flower patterns. Millefiori is of ancient origin and was used in Anglo-Saxon jewelry and decoration. The process was revived in 16th-century Venice, and then again in 19th-century France and Britain, where it was used for objects like paperweights. It was during this period that the technique was given its name, which combines two Italian words that mean what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Galileo Galilei Discovers Three of Jupiter's Four Largest Moons (1610)Jupiter has more than 60 moons. The four largest—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—were the first satellites of a planet other than Earth to be detected. They were discovered by Galileo in 1610, shortly after he invented the telescope, and are therefore known as the Galilean satellites. On January 7, 1610, Galileo observed near Jupiter what he described at the time as "three fixed stars, totally invisible by their smallness." How long did it take Galileo to realize they were not stars? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Millard Fillmore (1800)Born in a log cabin in rural New York, Fillmore was compelled to work at an early age to help support his large, impoverished family. Despite his limited education, he became a lawyer and was elected vice president under Zachary Taylor. Upon Taylor's death in 1850, Fillmore was sworn in as president. His attempt to take a moderate stance on the highly contentious issue of slavery ended his political career. While being fed soup, a dying Fillmore made what remark that turned out to be his last? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Great men need to be lifted upon the shoulders of the whole world, in order to conceive their great ideas or perform their great deeds. That is, there must be an atmosphere of greatness round about them. A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world.Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ganna (2021)The Christmas celebration in Ethiopia (observing the Coptic Orthodox calendar), which is officially called Leddat, is more popularly known as Ganna, after the game that is traditionally played on this day by boys, young men, and occasionally elders. According to legend, the shepherds were so happy when they heard about the birth of Jesus that they used their hooked staffs to play ganna—a game similar to field hockey. Pilgrims gather in the spectacular medieval churches in Lalibela for services, music, and food. More... | |