Japan has the most Michelin-starred restaurants of any country in the world, surpassing even France.

The Mona Lisa has no visible eyebrows — they may have been removed during cleaning, or Leonardo simply left them out.

About 30% of people meet their partner through friends.

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime.

Manga's distinctive large eyes were popularized by Osamu Tezuka, inspired partly by Disney characters like Bambi.

The Popol Vuh is the Mayan creation myth — humanity was made from maize after earlier attempts from mud and wood failed.

Bach wrote over 1,000 compositions during his lifetime — many were only rediscovered and published after his death.

Extreme sports athlete Travis Pastrana became the first person to land a double backflip on a motorcycle at X Games 2006.

Islam has five pillars: faith, prayer five times daily, charitable giving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca.