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 ancient city of Pompeii was preserved under layers of volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, providing valuable insights into Roman life.

3) The world's first credit card was introduced in 1950 by Diners Club.

4) The first commercially successful video game was "Pong," released in 1972 by Atari.