Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 12, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 AltarsAltars are tables or platforms upon which sacrifices or other offerings are made. Though today they are typically found inside houses of worship or private homes, altars in the ancient world were almost exclusively constructed outdoors. An altar's design varies according to its purpose. For example, an altar used for burnt offerings will have a hollow for a fire, while one used for bloody sacrifices will have a drain. What do Taoists burn to ensure that the dead have money in the afterlife? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of the Herrings (1429)The meatless days of Lent were approaching when Sir John Fastolf set off from Paris with hundreds of wagons laden with weapons and barrels of herring to resupply the English troops that had been laying siege to the French town of Orléans for months. Engaged by thousands of French troops attempting to sever his supply route, Fastolf made a defensive formation with his wagons, lending the battle its name. What group's poorly timed attempt to help the French may have caused them to lose the battle? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 George Meredith (1828)One of the great English novelists, Meredith wrote complex, often comic yet highly cerebral works that contain striking psychological character studies. Though he ostensibly launched a law career at age 18, he focused instead on journalism, poetry writing, and translation. Unable to earn a living this way, he began writing novels and eventually became a critical and popular success. In one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tales, Sherlock Holmes asks Dr. Watson to talk about Meredith instead of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lincoln's Birthday (2021)Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born on Feb. 12, 1809. A wreath-laying ceremony and reading of the Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., are traditional on Feb. 12. Lincoln's actual birthday is a legal holiday in 11 states: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia. In most other states, Lincoln's and George Washington's birthdays are combined for a legal holiday on the third Monday in February called Presidents' Day. More... | |