April 26, 2016
Word of the Day
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Definition:
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(noun) A label bearing the owner's name or other identification that is pasted usually on the inside cover of a book. |
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ex libris |
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I learned from the bookplate that the previous owner of my copy of Gone with the Wind had been a woman named Scarlett. |
Idiom of the Day
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To act or behave correctly, appropriately, or with the best intentions.
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Article of the Day
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Wingsuit fliers wear a specialized jumpsuit that shapes the human body into an airfoil, a structure whose shape provides lift, propulsion, stability, and directional control over a flying object. Fabric sewn between the legs and under the arms of the wingsuit allows the flier to glide through the air much like a bird, while a separate parachute allows him to land safely. A British stuntman died wing-diving in 2013, just a year after he parachuted into what high-profile event?
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This Day in History
Tanganyika and Zanzibar Merge to Form Tanzania (1964)
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Discuss
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Located in central East Africa, Tanzania has been inhabited by humans or their ancestors perhaps longer than any other place on Earth, with hominid fossils discovered there dating back over two million years. The country of Tanzania is a more recent development, forming in 1964 with the merger of two newly independent republics—Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The former leaders of Tanganyika and Zanzibar then became Tanzania's first president and vice president. What is Tanzania's official language?
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Today's Birthday
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Audubon was a US ornithologist and artist known for his drawings and paintings of North American birds. After failing in business, he concentrated on compiling his extraordinary four-volume Birds of America, published between 1827 and 1838. Though his bird poses are sometimes unrealistic—the result of painting dead birds wired into position—and some details are inaccurate, his studies were fundamental to New World ornithology. How many bird species are featured in Birds of America?
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Today's Holiday
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On April 26, 1964, the East African countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Union Day celebrates this merger. In the city of Dar es Salaam, speeches and a parade mark Union Day. Dignitaries from nearby countries join Tanzanian government officials in these festivities. In 2004, to mark Union Day, Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa pardoned nearly 4,500 prisoners who had been sentenced for minor crimes or who had less than three years to serve of a longer sentence.
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Quote of the Day
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A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
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In the News
Mice Flown in Space Found to Have Signs of Early Liver Damage, Study Shows
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A group of mice that spent two weeks in space on board the shuttle Atlantis were found to have early signs of liver damage, raising concerns about the possible implications for a manned mission to Mars, according to a new study. After the rodents spent ...
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