1) The English alphabet has five vowels: A, E, I, O, and U.

2) The word "bank" comes from the Italian word "banco," which means bench. In medieval Italy, bankers conducted their business on benches in the marketplace.

3) The game of basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 and has since grown into a global sport played at both amateur and professional levels.

4) The world's largest species of shark, the whale shark, can reach lengths of up to 40 feet (12 meters) and weigh over 20 tons.