The blues scale has its roots in African musical traditions brought to America through slavery.

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

Fencing's three weapons — épée, foil, and sabre — each have different target areas and scoring rules.

The average American moves 11.7 times in their lifetime.

There's a statue of Jason Voorhees, the “Friday the 13th” serial killer, chained to the bottom of a Minnesota lake.

The Sydney Opera House features a distinctive shell-like design.

Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 — a first for a songwriter.

Fortune cookies are not Chinese — they were invented in California in the early 20th century.

Wealth inequality exists in nearly every country.