Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, September 8, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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preponderate
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Green RoofsGreen roofs are rooftops that are covered with vegetation. Though more expensive than conventional roofs, green roofs can reduce heating and cooling costs, and they can also filter pollution from air and rainwater. A concentration of green roofs in a city can even decrease the overall temperature of the surrounding area in the summer. Notable buildings with green roofs include Chicago City Hall and Rolls-Royce’s headquarters in England. In what region have green roofs been in use for centuries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Star Trek Premieres (1966)Though the original Star Trek series was cancelled in its third season, the groundbreaking show—in which William Shatner's memorable Captain Kirk leads the crew of the starship Enterprise—developed a cult following of "Trekkies." Over the next four decades, the influential science-fiction franchise spawned five more Star Trek series, more than 10 feature films, and myriad conventions. Its motto, "to boldly go where no man has gone before," may have been partially copied from what source? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Jarry (1873)Jarry was a French writer. After exhausting the inheritance that had allowed him to move to Paris at 18, he led a life of calculated buffoonery. His 1896 farce, Ubu Roi, is considered a forerunner of theatre of the absurd and of Surrealism. It featured the grotesque Père Ubu, a repulsive and cowardly hero based on one of his former teachers. The brilliant imagery and wit of his works usually lapse into unintelligible symbolism. A heavy drinker, he died at 34. What was his last request? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Amnesty, n.: The state's magnanimity to those offenders whom it would be too expensive to punish.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Giles Fair (2020)The St. Giles Fair, held in Oxford, England, dates back even further than Oxford University. It is the only one remaining of the five great fairs once held in Oxford, and it still occupies its original site on St. Giles Street. Today it features sports and popular amusements, including "dodgem" cars, swing-boats, and gaily painted roundabouts. Booths sell holiday foods and other merchandise, and visitors flock to the fair from throughout Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties. The Fair is held on the Monday and Tuesday after the Sunday following St. Giles' feast day, September 1. More... | |