Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 3, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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parapraxis
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Touch PiecesTouch pieces are coins and medals—especially those with special designs or features—whose superstitious owners believe the items have supernatural powers. Thought to be imbued with the power to cure disease, bring good luck, influence behavior, or carry out a specific action if touched or held close, many touch pieces have been treasured by families for generations. The Lee Penny, taken from the Holy Land during a crusade, is still owned by the crusader's family. What power is it said to have? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Old Man of the Mountain Collapses (2003)The Old Man of the Mountain was an iconic rock formation in the Franconia Notch mountain pass of New Hampshire. Protruding from the side of a cliff, about 1,200 feet (366 m) above a lake, it looked like a craggy, 40-ft (12-m) human face. Years of freezing weather and the feature's already precarious position caused the beloved local symbol and tourist destination to collapse in 2003. American statesman Daniel Webster once said that the Old Man was God's way of saying what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Motter Inge (1913)Inge worked as a teacher and newspaper critic before winning recognition as a dramatist. His plays sympathetically portray the aspirations and frustrations of Midwestern small-town life. He first earned notice in 1950 with Come Back, Little Sheba, and he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for Picnic. Several of his works were made into films. By the 1960s, his reputation as a dramatist declined, and he turned to writing novels. Plagued by alcoholism and illness, he died in what way? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. If he tries to climb out into the air as inexperienced people endeavor to do, he drowns.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Queima das Fitas (Burning of the Ribbons) (2020)The Burning of the Ribbons is centered around a tradition, dating from the 19th century, that is perpetuated by students at the University of Coimbra. At the end of the second semester in May, the students ceremoniously burn the ribbons (one per day) that represent each of the eight faculties at the institution. Numerous concerts and performances take place, as does a traditional nighttime serenade at the Old Cathedral of Coimbra. Another high point is the cortejo, an elaborate parade featuring floats bearing the respective colors of each faculty. More... | |