Daily Knowledge "Never find fault with the absent."
[Alexander Pope]
Quote of the Day, from brainyquote.com (2022/08/08)
Article of the Day
American actor Billy Porter wore a black velvet tuxedo dress designed by Christian Siriano on the red carpet of the 91st Academy Awards (Oscars) on February 24, 2019. Porter had recently come into public view for his breakout role in the FX television series Pose, and his boundary-pushing red carpet attire during the 2018–19 film awards season. Following his appearance at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in a custom silver suit with fuchsia-lined cape, he was invited to host red carpet interviews at the Oscars pre-show. Porter approached Siriano and together they conceived the tuxedo gown. It was well-received by fashion journalists, who highlighted its elegant design and described it as a favorite Oscars dress and one of Porter's most fashionable red carpet looks. The gown cemented Porter's status as a celebrity and as a fashion icon. Porter considers the outfit a piece of political art intended to drive a conversation about men's fashion and masculinity. It has also received praise from academics and the general public, as well as criticism from conservative commentators. (Full article...)
Current Events
BBC One-minute World News
Fast briefed every day.
- Gregory and Travis McMichael get second life sentences for federal hate crime convictions in Ahmaud Arbery's killing (2022-08-08 20:56)
- Recent killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque have shaken the city. Here's what we know (2022-08-08 20:52)
- Friends start GoFundMe for woman who lost her home in Anne Heche car crash (2022-08-08 20:25)
- Landmark climate and health care bill won't crush corporate profits, Goldman Sachs says (2022-08-08 20:20)
- 60% of European Union and UK land is now facing drought conditions (2022-08-08 20:00)
Image of the Day
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
On this day: August 8
August 8: Day of Ashura (Shia Islam, 2022)
- 1264 – Reconquista: In the early stages of the Mudéjar revolt, Muslim rebels captured the alcázar of the city of Jerez in present-day Spain, holding it for about two months.
- 1919 – The Third Anglo-Afghan War ended with the United Kingdom signing a treaty to recognise the independence of the Emirate of Afghanistan.
- 1929 – The German airship Graf Zeppelin (pictured) departed Lakehurst, New Jersey, on a flight to circumnavigate the world.
- 2009 – Nine people died when a tour helicopter and a small private airplane collided over the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.
- 2014 – The World Health Organization declared the Western African Ebola virus epidemic, which began in December 2013, to be a public health emergency of international concern.
- Earle Page (b. 1880)
- Ernest Lawrence (b. 1901)
- Sheila Varian (b. 1937)
Knowledge about Earth
Facts and Figures
- Age of Earth: ~ 4.568 billion years
- World Population: 7.3 billion (July 2015)
- Continents: 7 (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia)
- Mean Radius: 6371.0 km
- Axial Tilt: 23,44°
Image Source: Wikipedia - License: Public Domain (thanks to NASA)
Our Solar System
Our solar system consists of
1 star (Sun) and 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).
- 1 AU (astronomical unit) is roughly the distance between Earth and the Sun (about 150 million kilometres).
- The space probe Voyager 1 was launched by the NASA in 1977 and is meanwhile (autumn 2015) about 133 AU away from Earth.
Image Source: Wikipedia - License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Why you should extend your general knowledge:
There are many reasons why one should or wants to extend his knowledge.
First you should consider that "general knowledge" is knowledge which a group of humans - who belong together regional, temporal or otherwise - owns. Thus, it describes a basic understanding of specific categories of knowledge.
As the English philosopher Francis Bacon said before: "Wisdom is Power" [Bacon 1597].