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

The Parthenon has no straight lines — all horizontals slightly curve upward and columns lean slightly inward to appear straight to the human eye.

Beethoven continued composing music after becoming deaf.

Impressionism, initially mocked as unfinished and messy, transformed into one of the most celebrated art movements in history.

Mozart began composing music at age five.

About 50% of marriages end in divorce in many developed countries.

Opera was invented in Florence around 1600, originally as an attempt to recreate ancient Greek theater.

The concept of hell as a place of punishment varies dramatically across world religions — Buddhism's naraka is temporary, not eternal.

High jumpers use the Fosbury Flop — jumping backwards over the bar — introduced by Dick Fosbury at the 1968 Olympics.