February 26, 2016
Word of the Day
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Definition:
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(noun) An enlisted person in the US or British Navy. |
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sailor |
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The big steam pinnace went off to her ship to bring over a few bluejackets to furl my sails for me. |
Idiom of the Day
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Sudden, unruly, and often violently aggressive behavior of a passenger aboard an airplane, generally while in the air, which puts the safety of other passengers, the crew, or the airplane at risk. The term is modeled on "road rage," which is the equivalent behavior in relation to driving.
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Article of the Day
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Marketers of the Space Pen claim that the writing implement can be used in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, over wet paper, at any angle, and in extreme temperatures. The pen, which was invented by American industrialist Paul C. Fisher, uses pressurized ink cartridges to force thixotropic ink through its tungsten carbide ballpoint. Though standard ballpoint pens can be used in space, both the American and Russian space programs use Fisher's pen. Why is it dangerous to use pencils in space?
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This Day in History
The February 26 Incident (1936)
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Discuss
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The February 26 Incident was an attempted military coup in Japan launched by a radical faction of the Imperial Japanese Army that sought to stamp out corruption and poverty in rural Japan by assassinating certain elder statesmen. Before the coup was suppressed, the rebels managed to briefly occupy the center of Tokyo and kill several leading politicians, including the finance minister. The prime minister, however, survived thanks to a case of mistaken identity. Who was killed in his place?
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Today's Birthday
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Hugo was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist. The son of a general, he was an accomplished poet before age 20. With his verse drama Cromwell in 1827, he emerged as an important figure in Romanticism. His best-known novels are The Hunchback of Notre Dame, an evocation of medieval life, and Les Misérables, the story of the convict Jean Valjean. Their immense popularity made him the most successful writer in the world at that time. Why was Hugo forced into exile in 1851?
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Today's Holiday
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This weeklong event in Tucson, Arizona, features the "world's longest non-motorized parade" and the largest outdoor midwinter rodeo in the US. The fiesta starts with the parade—a two-mile-long procession of more than 200 entries, including old horse-drawn vehicles such as buckboards, surreys, and Conestoga wagons. The eight days of rodeo include the standard events, as well as daily Mutton Bustin' contests. In these, four- to six-year-olds test their riding skills on sheep. There are also demonstrations by the Quadrille de Mujeres, a women's precision-riding team.
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Quote of the Day
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Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
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In the News
18300 Apply for 14 Jobs in NASA's Astronaut Corps
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Discuss
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) closed the application window for its 2017 class of astronauts on Thursday, after some 18,300 applicants submitted their names for just eight to 14 spots. The extraordinary number of applicants...
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