Historical Events, Birthdays And Quotations

This Day in History

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Named for the style of clothing favored by the mainly Mexican-American victims of these clashes, the Zoot Suit Riots erupted between American servicemen stationed in Los Angeles, California, during World War II and the city's minority residents. While the local press lauded the attacks by the servicemen and described them as having a "cleansing effect," First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt denounced them as "race riots" rooted in discrimination. What happened to the nine sailors arrested in the riots? Discuss

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

The drive-in theater was the creation of New Jersey chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. In 1932, Hollingshead nailed a screen to trees in his backyard and set a projector on the hood of his car. After applying for a patent for his creation, Hollingshead opened the first drive-in the next year. Though it only operated for three years, the concept soon caught on in other states. How many drive-ins are estimated to have existed in the US at the height of their popularity?

Mon, 5 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

After a period of relative calm, border incidents between Israel and Syria, Egypt, and Jordan increased during the early 1960s. Palestinian guerrilla attacks on Israel from bases in Syria led to increased hostility between the two countries. After Egypt signed a defense treaty with Jordan, Israel launched a preemptive air strike against the three Arab states, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. How many were killed in the fighting?

Word Trivia

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

occultation - One of its meanings is "the disappearance from view of a star or planet in the sun's rays after sunset or before sunrise, when the star or planet is above the horizon." More...

acronical - Means happening at sunset or twilight. More...

antitwilight - The sky's pink or purple glow after sunset. More...

evening - Its Old English base meant "grow towards night," as evening extends from sunset to dark. More...

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

shot - Referring to a fluid dram of liquor, the term is fairly new, dating to 1928 (PG Wodehouse). More...

deadline - Originally a Civil War term for a line that marked the distance a prisoner could go before being shot on sight. More...

schuss - A straight downhill ski run, it is literally German for "a shot." More...

beside the point - The expression is from ancient archery, and literally means one's shot is wide of the target. More...

Mon, 5 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

embezzle - Originally, it simply meant "steal." More...

purloin - Meaning to steal, it is from Latin pur/pro, "forth," and loign, "far." More...

scrounge - First meant to live off or sponge off someone else; it is a variant of scrunge, "steal." More...

snoop - From Dutch snoepen, "eat on the sly," it first meant "steal and eat in a clandestine manner." More...

Today's Birthdays

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

First a sailor and then a successful stockbroker in Paris, Gauguin took up painting on weekends when he was in his mid-20s. Eventually, with the encouragement of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, he devoted himself completely to art, quitting his job and separating from his wife and five children. Today, he is recognized as a highly influential founding father of modern art whose bold experiments with color led directly to the Synthetist style. What did Gauguin and Van Gogh have in common? Discuss

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Among the giants of Russian literature, Pushkin was a poet and writer whose masterpieces include the poem The Bronze Horseman, the drama The Stone Guest, and his verse novel Eugene Onegin, which contains witty descriptions of 19th-century Russian society. Pushkin established the modern poetic language of Russia, using Russian history for the basis of many works, but his career was cut short when he died after a duel with a young Frenchman. How old was he when he died?

Mon, 5 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist, and member of the Generation of '27, an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles in the 1920s. His most famous works include the book Gypsy Ballads and his poem, "Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter." The poetry, passion, and violence of his works, which combine Spanish folklore with his personal experience, and his own tragic and bloody death brought him enduring international acclaim. How did he die?

Article of the Day

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

The Irrawaddy, or Ayeyarwady, is Myanmar's longest river and its most important commercial waterway. For many centuries, it was Myanmar's principal communication route. The 1,000-mile (1,600-km) river bisects the country from north to south and empties into the Indian Ocean through a vast, nine-armed delta, which is one of the world's great rice-producing regions. The Ayeyarwady lends its name to what animal found in its waters? Discuss

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet or tube of regenerated cellulose, which is the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants. It is used in packaging, as a membrane for dialysis, and can be moisture-proofed. Invented in 1908, cellophane is made by dissolving cellulose alkali, aging it, then regenerating it by forcing it through a slit into a dilute acid solution where it precipitates. Cellophane sales have dwindled because of the presence of what pollutant in its production process?

Mon, 5 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Clogs are shoes or sandals that are made entirely of wood or have wooden soles and leather uppers. They are associated with the Netherlands and Sweden, where they are considered part of the national dress. In England, clogs were traditionally made of alder and were commonly worn by all classes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The Lancashire cotton mill workers habitually wore clogs to avoid slipping on the wet floors in the cotton mills. How are clogs used in some styles of dance?

Quotations of the Day

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Now, here you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that! Discuss

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Man is the unnatural animal, the rebel child of nature, and more and more does he turn himself against the harsh and fitful hand that reared him.

Mon, 5 Jun 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Misfortune had made Lily supple instead of hardening her, and a pliable substance is less easy to break than a stiff one.