On this day in 2012, a 24-year-old gunman goes on a rampage at a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people—the youngest a 6-year-old girl—and injuring at least 70 others. The shooting took place shortly after the start of a crowded midnight showing of “The Dark […]
Continue ReadingYearly Archives: 2012
Hardest word in hangman game
What’s the hardest word to solve in Hangman? If you guessed some freak of linguistics like “onomatopoeia,†“dybbuk,†or “benzodiazepine,†you’re barking up entirely the wrong arboriform growth. Take it from Jon McLoone, director of business development for Wolfram Research, the company behind popular mathematical modeling tool Mathematica. McLoone was […]
Continue ReadingTV Legend Andy Griffith Dies
On this day in 2012, Andy Griffith, famous for his role as the good-hearted, small-town sheriff of fictional Mayberry, North Carolina, on the iconic 1960s TV sitcom “The Andy Griffith Show,” dies at age 86 at his North Carolina home. The actor also was known for his starring role in […]
Continue ReadingNora Ephron, Director Of “When Harry Met Sally,” Dies
On this day in 2012, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Nora Ephron, whose credits include “Silkwood,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “You’ve Got Mail,” dies at age 71 of complications from leukemia in New York City. Known for her sharp, witty writing style, Ephron was an accomplished writer, director and producer as […]
Continue ReadingRay Bradbury, Bestselling Science Fiction Author, Dies At 91
On this day in 2012, one of the preeminent science fiction authors of the 20th century, Ray Bradbury, whose books include “The Martian Chronicles,” “Fahrenheit 451” and “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” dies at age 91 in Los Angeles. During his 70-year career, Bradbury, who also wrote works of horror, […]
Continue ReadingLongtime Egyptian Leader Hosni Mubarak Sentenced To Life In Prison
On this day in 2012, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is found guilty of failing to stop the killings of hundreds of anti-government demonstrators during the 2011 popular uprising that forced an end to his nearly 30 years in power. The 84-yer-old Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison. Born […]
Continue ReadingFacebook Raises $16 Billion In Largest Tech IPO In U.S. History
On this day in history, Facebook, the world’s largest social network, holds its initial public offering (IPO) and raises $16 billion. It was the largest technology IPO in American history to that date, and the third-largest IPO ever in the United States, after those of Visa and General Motors. At […]
Continue ReadingDonna Summer, Queen Of Disco, Dies
On this day in 2012, singer and songwriter Donna Summer, who rose to fame during the 1970s with such disco anthems as “Love to Love You Baby” and “Hot Stuff,” dies at age 63 in Naples, Florida, after battling cancer. Also known for such 1980s hits as “She Works Hard […]
Continue ReadingDick Clark, Host Of “American Bandstand” And “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” Dies
On this day in 2012, Dick Clark, the TV personality and producer best known for hosting “American Bandstand,” an influential music-and-dance show that aired nationally from 1957 to 1989 and helped bring rock `n’ roll into the mainstream in the late 1950s, dies of a heart attack at age 82 […]
Continue ReadingLongtime “60 Minutes” Journalist Mike Wallace Dies
On this day in 2012, broadcast journalist Mike Wallace, a full-time correspondent for the pioneering TV newsmagazine “60 Minutes” from its debut in 1968 until 2006, dies at age 93 in New Canaan, Connecticut. During his career, Wallace interviewed everyone from world leaders to Hollywood celebrities to scam artists, and […]
Continue ReadingValentine’s Day
Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as […]
Continue ReadingHusband Of Missing Utah Woman Kills Self And Two Young Sons
On this day in 2012, 36-year-old Josh Powell, who had been in the public eye since police labeled him a person of interest in the 2009 disappearance of his 28-year-old wife, Susan, locks out a social worker then kills himself and his two sons, ages 5 and 7, by setting […]
Continue ReadingLantern Festival
The <strong>Lantern Festival</strong> (also known as the <strong>Yuanxiao Festival</strong> or <strong>Shangyuan Festival</strong> in China; Chap Goh Meh Festival in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; <strong>Yuen Siu Festival</strong> in Hong Kong, and <strong>”Tết Thượng Nguyên” or “Tết Nguyên Tiêu”</strong> in Vietnam); is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first […]
Continue ReadingFirecracker
A <strong>Firecracker</strong> (also known as a <strong>Cracker</strong>, <strong>Noise Maker</strong>, <strong>Banger</strong> or <strong>Bunger</strong>) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang; any visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a […]
Continue ReadingIdioms
Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that are either grammatically unusual, as in, “Long time, no see!”, or their meaning cannot be taken literally, as in, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” This expression does not mean that cats and dogs are falling from the sky, but it is a metaphorical […]
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