1) The abolition of slavery in the United States was officially proclaimed with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

2) The human body contains enough carbon to make over 9,000 pencils.

3) The study of fossils is called paleontology, and it helps us understand the history of life on Earth and the process of evolution.

4) The longest-running TV show in history is "The Simpsons," which has been on the air since 1989 and has over 700 episodes.