Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, August 15, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The PoppyThe poppy family is composed chiefly of herbs from the Northern Hemisphere that have characteristic milky or colored sap. Most species are native to the Old World, and many are cultivated in gardens for their brilliantly colored, if short-lived, blossoms. The opium poppy is grown for its opium as well as for its seeds for cooking and baking. The poppy has been the symbol of the dead and of sleep since antiquity. In many countries, the poppy is worn to commemorate what holiday? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 King Macbeth Is Killed (1057)Macbeth was originally a governor and military commander under Scottish King Duncan I, whose ancestors had seized power from the ancestors of Macbeth's wife. Macbeth ascended to the throne by killing Duncan in battle in 1040 and ruled Scotland for the next 18 years. In 1057, Macbeth was mortally wounded at the Battle of Lumphanan by Duncan's son Malcolm. Malcolm was crowned king the following year. Is Shakespeare's famous tragedy about Macbeth historically accurate? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Walter Scott (1771)Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott is widely regarded as both the inventor of the historical novel and one of the genre's greatest writers. His extremely popular "Waverley" series consists of more than two dozen romances of Scottish life. The first, published in 1814, was an immediate success, yet Scott continued to write anonymously until 1827. In 1825, his business nearly failed. By what means did he attempt to stave off bankruptcy, eventually achieving financial solvency after his own death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Elvis International Tribute Week (2020)This week-long event pays tribute to rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. The tribute takes place in Memphis, Tennessee, largely at Graceland, his 15,000-square-foot mansion that is now his gravesite, museum, and a rock and roll shrine. A candlelight vigil is held on the evening of Aug. 15 at Graceland, when thousands of Elvis's fans pour through the gates and walk to the gravesite. Other events include a Nostalgia Concert by those who worked with Presley; a Sock Hop Ball, in which Elvis songs and other classics of the 1950s and 1960s are played; and an art exhibit and contest. More... | |