This Day in History

Zoot Suit Riots Come to an End (1943)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 WWII and the city's minority residents. While the local press lauded the attacks by the servicemen and described them as having a "cleansing effect" on the city, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt denounced them as "race riots" rooted in discrimination. What happened to the 9 sailors arrested in the riots? More... Discuss |

Public Kinetoscope Parlor Opens in New York (1894)The kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device that creates the illusion of movement by conveying a filmstrip of sequential images over a light source with a high-speed shutter. The first public kinetoscope parlor was opened in New York City in 1894 and introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic projection before the advent of video. The venue had ten machines, each showing a different short movie. How much did it cost to view all ten films? More... Discuss |

Johns Hopkins University Opens (1876)Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University is named for philanthropist Johns Hopkins, who donated $7 million for the foundation of the university and Johns Hopkins Hospitalâ¿¿the largest philanthropic bequest in US history at the time. Johns Hopkins University was the first American research university and was later used as a model for most large research universities in the US. How did Hopkins get his unusual first name? More... Discuss |

Kyoto Protocol Comes into Force (2005)The 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, produced a treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat global warming, but it failed to establish mandatory limits or enforcement provisions. The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the agreement that establishes such limits. Countries that ratify the treaty promise to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases or engage in emissions trading. Which countries have not ratified the agreement? More... Discuss |

Little Rock School Crisis Begins in the US (1957)On this day in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. This act defied the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the racial desegregation of public schools. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students. How did Faubus and the Arkansas State Legislature respond to the president's actions? More... Discuss |

Little Rock School Crisis Begins in the US (1957)On this day in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. This act defied the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the racial desegregation of public schools. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students. How did Faubus and the Arkansas State Legislature respond to the president's actions? More... Discuss |

Little Rock School Crisis Begins in the US (1957)On this day in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. This act defied the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the racial desegregation of public schools. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students. How did Faubus and the Arkansas State Legislature respond to the president's actions? More... Discuss |

Little Rock School Crisis Begins in the US (1957)On this day in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. This act defied the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the racial desegregation of public schools. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students. How did Faubus and the Arkansas State Legislature respond to the president's actions? More... Discuss |

Little Rock School Crisis Begins in the US (1957)On this day in 1957, Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. This act defied the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the racial desegregation of public schools. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students. How did Faubus and the Arkansas State Legislature respond to the president's actions? More... Discuss |

Apollo 9 Safely Returns to Earth (1969)Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in the Apollo program and consisted of a 10-day earth-orbital mission. It was the second manned flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the first manned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module. During the mission, crew members tested a new spacesuit, which was the first to possess its own life support system. This meant that astronauts no longer had to rely on an umbilical connection to the spacecraft. Why did the crew name their command module "Gumdrop"? More... |
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Word of the Day
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| Definition: |
(noun) A symbol of disgrace or infamy. |
| Synonyms: |
brand, mark, stain |
| Usage: |
How the stigma stands out red as blood upon his blanched cheek! |
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| Definition: |
(adjective) Capriciously stubborn or eccentric; perverse. |
| Synonyms: |
cantankerous, ornery |
| Usage: |
My crotchety neighbor always finds something to complain to me about. |
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| Definition: |
(adjective) Primly out of date. |
| Synonyms: |
frumpy |
| Usage: |
She had little fashion sense and arrived at the party in a dowdy, high-necked dress that would have been considered out of date forty years ago. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Select desirable parts from a group or list. |
| Synonyms: |
cull out |
| Usage: |
The admissions committee worked long hours to winnow the most promising candidates from the long list of applicants. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Laugh at with contempt and derision. |
| Synonyms: |
barrack, flout, gibe, jeer |
| Usage: |
Agatha, having from her childhood heard Uncle John quoted as wisdom and authority incarnate, had begun in her tender years to scoff at him as a pompous and purse-proud city merchant. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Laugh at with contempt and derision. |
| Synonyms: |
barrack, flout, gibe, jeer |
| Usage: |
Agatha, having from her childhood heard Uncle John quoted as wisdom and authority incarnate, had begun in her tender years to scoff at him as a pompous and purse-proud city merchant. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Laugh at with contempt and derision. |
| Synonyms: |
barrack, flout, gibe, jeer |
| Usage: |
Agatha, having from her childhood heard Uncle John quoted as wisdom and authority incarnate, had begun in her tender years to scoff at him as a pompous and purse-proud city merchant. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Laugh at with contempt and derision. |
| Synonyms: |
barrack, flout, gibe, jeer |
| Usage: |
Agatha, having from her childhood heard Uncle John quoted as wisdom and authority incarnate, had begun in her tender years to scoff at him as a pompous and purse-proud city merchant. |
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| Definition: |
(verb) Laugh at with contempt and derision. |
| Synonyms: |
barrack, flout, gibe, jeer |
| Usage: |
Agatha, having from her childhood heard Uncle John quoted as wisdom and authority incarnate, had begun in her tender years to scoff at him as a pompous and purse-proud city merchant. |
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