Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 12, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hilarity
| |||||||
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 HeliamphoraHeliamphora is a genus of carnivorous pitcher plants native to South America. The plants lure insects into their deadly pitchers with their vivid pigmentation, sweet scent, and a spoon-like appendage suspended above the tube that secretes nectar. Inside the pitcher, downward-facing hairs force insects deeper inward, until they are drowned in fluid collected at its bottom and then digested by symbiotic bacteria. How do these plants keep from filling completely with water when it rains? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Commandos Rescue Imprisoned Benito Mussolini (1943)In 1943, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed by his own government. When German forces discovered that he was being held at a ski resort in the Apennine Mountains, they launched a daring rescue. Arriving on gliders, German troops overwhelmed Mussolini's captors and spirited him away without firing a shot. The operation was a major propaganda success for the Nazis. According to some accounts, what was Mussolini's reply when the paratroopers told him that Adolf Hitler had sent them? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Henry Louis "H.L." Mencken (1880)Often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century, Mencken was a journalist, satirist, social critic, and cynic known as the "Sage of Baltimore," for the city where he lived his entire life. Perhaps best remembered for his satirical reporting on the Scopes evolution trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey trial," Mencken was frequently critical of myriad institutions. Why did the Arkansas legislature pass a motion in 1931 to pray for Mencken's soul? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is . . . the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Dally in the Alley (2020)Dally in the Alley is a one-day arts fair that takes place on the Saturday after Labor Day in the North Cass neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. The Dally began as a community block party and art fair in 1977. It expanded into a performing arts festival and moved to its current location in 1982, when it became known as the "Dally in the Alley," the name of an English pub song. Each year more than 30,000 visitors attend the festival, which includes music, a curated art show, poetry and writing workshops, children's activities, food, and refreshments—particularly beer. More... | |