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Today in context,
May 25, 2021
Oprah’s Favorite Things
After 25 years, The Oprah Winfrey Show ended on May 25, 2011. The host’s honest and engaging personality made the program a success. How much do you know about her?
Oprah’s real name is Orpah, which comes from where?
What city did she move to to host a faltering talk show that would later become The Oprah Winfrey Show?
What film adaptation earned Oprah her first Oscar nomination?
Oprah had the starring role in this 1998 movie, which she also produced. It was based on what book?
Her on-air book club turned many recent publications as well as classics into best-sellers. What novel inspired her to ask her audience “How long would you wait for love?”
Who’s a Good Boy?
For many dog owners, their canine companions have been a source of much-needed comfort this past year. But while Fido might seem pretty simple—a good tummy rub can earn you a lifelong pal—these animals are much more complex than you think. We sniff out some interesting facts about man’s best friend.
Why Do Dogs Smell Each Other’s Butts? Because Bums Have a Lot to Say
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Trending Quizzes
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History of Scientists, Inventors, and Inventions Quiz
Who developed the neon lamp? Who is credited with the invention of Greek fire? Test your knowledge. Take the quiz.
Astronomy and Space Quiz
What makes a planet a dwarf planet? How many miles are in a light-year? What exactly is a quasar? Launch into other worlds...
Capital Cities by Continent Quiz, Easier Edition
What makes this quiz easier? Instead of the four continents you’re choosing from in every question of
Test Your Geography Knowledge with This Capital Cities Quiz
What is the capital of Zambia? What is the capital of Nauru? Test your knowledge. Take this quiz.
Art of the Harlem Renaissance
Literature was not the only art that flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of the...
Archaeology: Digging and Scraping Quiz
What is the scientific discipline concerned with dating and interpreting past events according to the...
Italian Words Commonly Used in English
Which Neapolitan dialect word originally referred to a kind of stream that “washes down” a mountain? What English word comes...
Famous Deaths in History Quiz
Which Russian poet was fatally wounded in a duel with his brother-in-law? Whose death was caused by the tooth of a decapitated...
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
This quiz will show you two countries. Pick the one that’s bigger, as measured by total area. The statistics come from
118 Names and Symbols of the Periodic Table Quiz
The periodic table is made up of 118 elements. How well do you know their symbols? In this quiz you’ll be shown all 118 chemical...
Capitals of Island Countries in the Indian Ocean Quiz
Can you name the capital cities of the island countries in the Indian Ocean? This quiz will show you a country’s name; you’ll...
Did You Know? Martin Luther King, Jr.
How much do you know about the life of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.?
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Some Like It Hot
Keep your cool while working on this fiery crossword puzzle.
It's a Bug, It's a Feature (Film)...It's A Spacecraft?!?
In this crossword each clue includes a description of an insect and a homograph of that bug's name (i.e., a word that is...
Mammals in Unusual Places
With over 5,500 living mammal species, there are bound to be some strange ones. See how much you know about humanity's furry...
Starting a Family
All happy families are alike. Maybe? You'll find out in this crossword.
The Indian Premier League: Chennai Super Kings
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most-attended cricket league in the world. The Chennai Super Kings are the second...
A is for Animal
Can you solve this crossword of animals that begin with the letter A?
Mono Monikers
Sometimes one name is enough when it comes to famous folks. Those names may be nicknames, bynames, or cultural conventions....
A Drachma for Your Thoughts?
Don't be a day late and a dollar short! Find out how much you know about world currencies with this puzzle.
Wintry Course of Events
Put your skis on and find your way to the bottom of this mountain.
The Indian Premier League: Delhi Capitals
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most-attended cricket league in the world. The Delhi Capitals (formerly the Delhi...
User Error
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Podcasts
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Thinkers & Doers
Thinkers & Doers is a podcast that explores the ideas and actions shaping our world through conversations with leaders and leading experts of the day.
Botanize!
Botanize!, hosted by Melissa Petruzzello, is a podcast that will introduce you to some of the world’s most remarkable plants, fungi, and algae. These overlooked organisms have fascinating evolutionary stories to tell about survival, exploitation, adaptation, and general scrappiness, and every episode will pique your curiosity. From parasitic plants to kelp forests, Botanize! aims to showcase some of Earth’s finest nonanimal life-forms and their brilliant ecologies.
On This Day
Hear the stories that propelled us to the present day through insights that lend perspective to our world with a nod to our own humanity. Britannica media editor Kurt Heintz, together with Emily Goldstein and Meg Matthias, is on a mission to spotlight poignant and noteworthy events for every day of the year.
Bob Dylan
The Shakespeare of His Generation
American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan turns 80 this week. He bridged the gap between folk and rock and infused his work with a poetic intellectualism previously absent in rock lyrics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
Dylan Goes Electric
Bob Dylan’s appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the history of both rock and folk music. Dylan’s three-song electric set was seen by some as a violation of the acoustic traditions of folk, but the negative reaction to his performance may have been the result of nothing more than a poor sound mix.
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Browse by Category
Entertainment & Pop Culture
Entertainment and leisure activities have been a part of all cultures in one form or another since the ancient times, whether the activity in question involved participating in a dance performance, attending a Broadway show, going to a music festival, or watching a movie.
Featured
- Puppetry
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Pop Music: From Backstreet to Main Street
In pop music, which instruments are recorded first?...
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Come Together
From U2 and the Jonas Brothers to Led Zeppelin and...
Geography & Travel
Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.
Featured
- Language
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7 Historic Buildings (and 1 Temporary Pavilion) in Amsterdam
Know before you go.
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7 Must-See Buildings in Brussels
Know before you go.
Health & Medicine
The study of the human mind and body, how these function, and how they interact—not only with each other but also with their environment—has been of utmost importance in ensuring human well-being. Research on potential treatments and preventive medicine has expanded greatly with the development of modern medicine, and a network of disciplines, including such fields as genetics, psychology, and nutrition, aims to facilitate the betterment of our health.
Featured
- Drug use
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People gave up on flu pandemic measures a century ago when they tired of them – and paid a price
The United States was close to the end of a pandemic...
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Stop Using Cotton Swabs to Clean Your Ears! Gently Scoop Out Earwax with This Smart Tool
Cotton swabs can actually harm your ears. Try this...
Lifestyles & Social Issues
It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight over human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racial discrimination, environmentalism, gay rights, and more.
Featured
- Teaching
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9 Cemeteries to Die For
Shopping for an earthly place in which to spend eternity.
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Ovechkin or Putin?
These two Russians might be harder to tell apart than...
Literature
With the development of language, the human imagination has found a way to create and communicate through the written word. A literary work can transport us into a fictional, fantastic new world, describe a fleeting feeling, or simply give us a picture of the past through novels, poems, tragedies, epic works, and other genres. Through literature, communication becomes an art, and it can bridge and bond people and cultures of different languages and backgrounds.
Featured
- Literature
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Shakespearean Plays: Fact or Fiction?
Is the title character of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet...
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William Shakespeare: Fact or Fiction?
Is William Shakespeare nicknamed "the Bard of Avon?"...
Philosophy & Religion
Humans have long pondered not only how we came to be but also why we came to be. The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more. Thus, philosophy involves a methodical assessment of any and all aspects of human existence and experience. The realms of philosophy and religion have sometimes intersected in conducting inquiries such as these. As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins. The possibility of a higher being (or beings) to which livings things owe their existence has long captived human thought. Many religions also offer their own views on the nature of good and evil, and they may prescribe guidelines and judgment on different kinds of human behavior.
Featured
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Aesthetics
philosophy
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What Do Eggs Have to Do with Easter?
Easter or not, bunnies don’t lay eggs
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Odd Facts About Philosophers
Who says philosophers don’t lead interesting lives?...
Politics, Law & Government
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of conduct that each political entity follows.
Featured
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Crime
law
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What Is Gerrymandering?
You may have heard about this in the news, but how...
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6 Oddly Named U.S. Government Operations
Who on earth came up with “Operation Toenails”?
Science
How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.
Featured
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Plant
organism
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Constellations: Fact or Fiction?
Is Hydra the largest constellation in the night sky?...
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Galaxies: Fact or Fiction?
Does the word "galaxy" come from the Greek word for...
Sports & Recreation
Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society. In both team and solo sports, the human body has been pushed to its limits in the name of improving athletic performance and to break record upon record. The ancient Olympic Games are an early example of the contests in which humans have engaged to showcase physical prowess. In modern times, sports and games have evolved into a lucrative and competitive industry, while other leisure activities, such as card and video games, can be competitive or can just be a way to unwind or socialize.
Featured
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Ice hockey
sport
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Why Do Tennis Players Wear White at Wimbledon?
Players at the prestigious Wimbledon Championships...
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Australian Rules Football
Dating back as far as the 1850s, Australian (Aussie)...
Technology
Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not—more fun, too! Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.
Featured
- Biotechnology
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Communications Firsts Quiz
Who coined the term microphone? What...
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Codes, Secrets, and Ciphers Quiz
What is the best-known public-key scheme cryptoalgorithm?...
Visual Arts
These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art, the latter a combination of multiple creative expressions. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple, utilitarian style of the Prairie School.
Featured
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Scottish Enlightenment
British history
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7 Paintings You Have to See at the Art Institute of Chicago
Learn before you look.
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6 Notable Paintings at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne
Learn before you look.
World History
Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages. Investigating the causes and results of past events is critically important in gaining a full understanding and perspective of present-day issues.
Featured
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Mao Zedong
Chinese leader
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U.S. Presidential Nicknames
Do you know your "Wobbly Willy" from your "Tricky Dick"?...
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The Titanic
The Titanic was a marvel. How much do you...
Britannica Buyer's Guide
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Why You Should Be Using a VPN This Year
Protect your identity and your privacy, and bypass censorship with KeepSolid VPN Unlimited.
5 Overlooked Benefits of Learning a New Language
Improve your mind, career, and personal development with one app.
Learning to Code is Beneficial Even if You Aren't a Software Engineer
Coding knowledge can improve your career prospects in any industry.
Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking With This Training
Learn how to give the perfect speech or presentation to any audience even over Zoom.
Creativity is an Indemand Soft Skill Employers Look for, Here's How to Master Adobe Creative Cloud
Expand your knowledge, increase your earning potential, and ramp up your creativity with this Adobe Creative Cloud Suite...
Turn Your Doodles into Works of Art
Take your creative skills to the next level.
Too Busy for Books? Try a Different Style of Reading
12 minutes is all you need to expand your knowledge.
A Dog's Behavior May Be a Result of its DNA, Here’s How You Can Find Out
Knowing what a dog was bred for can help you predict and understand behavior.
How to Get a Good Night's Sleep During the Pandemic
Getting a good night's sleep made easier with Restflix.
Focusing On Just This One Thing Can Help Reduce Your Overall Stress
Relieve stress and enjoy a relaxing night's sleep.
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