FACT #255

Edvard Munch began his career as a court artist but was sacked for making defendants look "too guilty".

FACT #254

Following the infamous 'Beano Trial' of 1989, dentists were barred from extracting teeth by tying it to a handle and slamming the door.

POST #253

The sound of a Austin Ambassador car starting up has exactly the same ardour-enhancing frequency as the voice of singer Tom Jones.

FACT #252

Demon barber Sweeney Todd only killed his customers on their third visit, when he'd run out of smalltalk.

FACT #251

In 1843, a French mime artist got stuck in his imaginary box and subsequently died through lack of oxygen.

FACT #250

It is nearly three miles farther to fly from Bristol to Newcastle than it is to return from Newcastle to Bristol.

FACT #249

Panini went bankrupt after disappointing sales of their European Parliament 2004 sticker album.

FACT #248

For the first Glastonbury Michael Eavis made himself sole act and headliner and forced his family, John Peel and the staff of Mojo magazine to watch him play his acoustic guitar for four days.

FACT #247

Tennis champion Roger Federer has been fined twice by the ATP for text-messaging during points.

FACT #246

At the height of his difficulties in 1996, John Major responded to every question at Prime Minister's Questions with "I know you are, I said you are, so what am I?".

FACT #245

In late 2005 the Bank of England commissioned an urgent report into how the price of Space Raiders crisps has never been affected by inflation.

FACT #244

If you fill a standard 750ml wine bottle with live hornets, their angry buzzing will resonate at precisely the right frequency to shatter the glass.