The son of vaudeville performers, Allen got his start as a comedian on radio in the 1940s before moving to late-night television. He created and hosted The Tonight Show and The Steve Allen Show in the 1950s and appeared in numerous other programs, earning a reputation as the father of TV talk shows. He also composed thousands of songs, wrote more than 50 books, and appeared in films such as The Benny Goodman Story. What minor accident led to Allen’s death? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Affectionately known as “Lady Day,” Billie Holiday is considered one of the greatest vocalists in jazz history as well as one of its most tragic figures. Known for her haunting rendition of the song “Strange Fruit,” Holiday began singing professionally in 1930 and embarked on a successful solo career in 1940. However, Holiday’s drug and alcohol addiction and abuse at the hands of men took a toll on both her health and her voice, and she died in 1959 at the age of 44. What was her real name? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (verb) Move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position.
Synonyms: cuddle, draw close, nest, nestle, snuggle.
Usage: We nuzzled against each other to keep warm and quickly fell asleep.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Researchers from the Canadian Museum of Nature and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County have identified remains of a 3.5-million-year-old bear from a fossil-rich site in Canada’s High Arctic. Their study shows not only that the animal is a close … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
By December 1776, the morale of American colonists fighting in the Revolution had been severely weakened by a string of losses to the better-equipped British. On Christmas Day, Washington crossed the partially-frozen Delaware River with thousands of troops, overnight and during an ice storm, to surprise and overwhelm Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. There were few casualties, and the bold move restored hope of an American victory. What secret phrase signaled the start of the crossing? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is a summer holiday. The tinsel and evergreen boughs that decorate homes, churches, parks, and shopping malls offer a stark contrast to the weather. But Christmas traditions persist: children hang up their stockings in anticipation of the arrival of Father Christmas, carolers sing by candlelight on Christmas Eve, and Christmas pageants are performed. For South Africans Christmas is a day for feasting and exchanging gifts. It marks the culmination of a Carnival-like week of singing, dancing, and eating. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
As a boy, Hilton helped his father turn the family’s home into an inn for traveling salesmen. After serving in World War I, he began to buy hotels in Texas and soon graduated to such grand establishments as Chicago’s Palmer House and the Waldorf-Astoria of New York. By the late 1940s, Hilton’s company had expanded overseas. At the time of his death in 1979, Hilton controlled the world’s largest hotel company. What did Hilton’s mother tell him was the best investment he would ever make? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Arborsculpture is the art and technique of growing and shaping trees or woody plants into ornamental or functional shapes by grafting, bending, and pruning their trunks and branches in specific ways. Depending on the size of the starter material, the plant’s rate of growth, and the complexity of the design, which can range from an abstract pattern to a piece of furniture, such projects can take as little as a year or as long as a decade or more to complete. How are bridges formed in this way? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Harsh or corrosive in tone.
Synonyms: acid, blistering, caustic, vitriolic, acrid, acerbic, bitter, virulent.
Usage: Her sulfurous denunciation of the governor was aired on the news that evening.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Older brains may forget more because they lose their rhythm at night. During deep sleep, older people have less coordination between two brain waves that are important to saving new memories, a team reports in the journal Neuron. “It’s like a drummer that’s … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary