1) The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war during the Cold War.

2) 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.

3) Lightning strikes the Earth about 8 million times a day.

4) Improved meteorological forecasting and early warning systems have significantly contributed to better preparedness and mitigation efforts for cyclones, reducing the loss of life and property.