Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 26, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sidestep
| |||||||
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Alchemy in the Islamic WorldIn the 8th century, alchemy, a pseudoscience focused on transforming base metals into gold, reached the Islamic world. Over the next several centuries, Muslim alchemists revolutionized the field, introducing scientific method into alchemical research and developing apparatuses like the alembic, still, and retort, which are still in use in laboratories today, and chemical processes such as pure distillation and filtration. Which Arab alchemist has been called "the father of chemistry"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Beaumont Siblings Disappear without a Trace (1966)The Beaumont children's disappearance from an Australian beach launched what would become one of the largest police investigations in Australian criminal history. On a hot summer day in 1966, nine-year-old Jane Beaumont took her two younger siblings to a nearby beach, but they never returned home. Police investigations revealed that the children had been seen with a strange man and later walking alone, but the case was never solved. In what way did their disappearance change Australian society? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman (1892)Coleman was an American civil aviator who became the first female pilot of African-American descent and the first person of African-American descent to hold an international pilot license. After attaining her license in France, Coleman continued to train extensively and earned a living as a stunt pilot in air shows, earning the nickname "Queen Bess." She died in an aviation accident in 1926, but her legacy inspired countless aviators. What led to the accident that resulted in Coleman's death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
a fine state of affairs— A situation that has gone wrong and is very problematic. The term is an instance of irony or sarcasm. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 India Republic Day (2023)This holiday is an important national festival in India, celebrating the day in 1950 when India's ties with Britain were severed and the country became a fully independent republic. The holiday is marked with parades and much celebration in all the state capitals, but the festivities in Delhi are especially grand. There is a mammoth parade with military units, floats from each state, dancers and musicians, and fly-overs. Independence Day on August 15 is also a national holiday, but it is observed chiefly with speech-making and none of the grandeur of Republic Day. More... | |