1) The legislative branch in many democracies is responsible for making laws, representing the interests of the people, and providing checks and balances on the executive branch.

2) The world's oldest tree is believed to be a bristlecone pine named "Methuselah" in California, estimated to be over 4,800 years old.

3) The first successful portable MP3 player, the Diamond Rio PMP300, was released in 1998 and could hold up to 60 minutes of music.

4) The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica and is the coldest and least-visited ocean.