1) The musical "Les Misérables" is one of the longest-running shows in the West End and Broadway, with over 13,000 performances.

2) The shortest war in history lasted only 38 to 45 minutes between Britain and Zanzibar in 1896.

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 Epic of Gilgamesh, originating from ancient Mesopotamia, is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and tells the story of the heroic king Gilgamesh and his quest for immortality. It explores themes of friendship, mortality, and the relationship between humans and the divine.