The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand over a continuous 438-day shoot.

The word 'ketchup' likely comes from a Chinese fish sauce called 'ke-chiap'.

The Twitter bird's official name is Larry, named after Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.

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

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

The concept of karma — actions determining future circumstances — appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

The informal economy in developing countries often employs more people than the formal sector.

The oldest known musical instrument is a flute carved from a vulture bone, found in Germany and dated to 40,000 years ago.

The maximum legal weight for a cricket ball is 163 grams — close to a baseball but harder.