1. Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperity merchant family in the Italian city-state of Venice.

2. Recognizable forest soils first appear in the fossil record during the Devonian period, between 420 and 360 millions years ago.

3. Despite Chicago failed to attract the automobile-manufacturing dominance it sought, its other industries thrived through much of the 20th century.

4. A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control moving to perform an action.

5. Historical, the five main fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry, with performing arts including theatre and dance.