Daily Knowledge "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."
[Phyllis Diller]
Quote of the Day, from brainyquote.com (2026/07/14)
Article of the Day
The Manufacturers Trust Company Building is a commercial building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 1954, it was the first bank building in the United States to be built in the International Style. It was commissioned by the Manufacturers Trust Company and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The façade is made largely of glass panes and aluminum mullions, while the first story includes a bank vault door visible from the street. After its opening, it became one of Manufacturers Trust's busiest branches and a tourist attraction. Manufacturers Trust's successor, Chase Bank, sold the building in 2000 but remained there until 2010. SOM renovated the building in 2012, converting it into a commercial structure, and Reuben Brothers acquired the property in 2023. The building was praised for its exterior design, ceilings, and visible vault door. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the exterior and interior as official landmarks. (Full article...)
Current Events
BBC One-minute World News
Fast briefed every day.
- Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts (1970-01-01 01:00)
- Haberman reveals why Trump attacked judge and his family in speech (2023-04-05 15:30)
- What to know about the Trump indictment on the eve of his court appearance (2023-04-06 00:50)
- READ: Trump indictment related to hush money payment (1970-01-01 01:00)
- Russian authorities detain suspect over St. Petersburg cafe blast (1970-01-01 01:00)
Image of the Day
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
On this day: July 13
July 13: Kashmir Martyrs' Day in Pakistan
- 1643 – English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Roundway Down near Devizes, Wiltshire.
- 1794 – The Battle of Trippstadt between French forces and those of Prussia and Austria began.
- 1831 – Wallachian officials adopted the Regulamentul Organic, which engendered a period of reforms that provided for the westernization of the local society.
- 1962 – In an unprecedented reshuffle, British prime minister Harold Macmillan dismissed seven members of his cabinet.
- 1999 – William Chaney (pictured), a historian of Anglo-Saxon England, retired after a half a century at Lawrence University, by which time 80% of living alumni had attended the school during his tenure.
- Afonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal (d. 1491)
- Kate Sheppard (d. 1934)
- Ernő Rubik (b. 1944)
- Ken Jeong (b. 1969)
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].