In fact

July 23, 2004
  • Shakespeare used a total of 31,534 different words in his works, although 14,376 appeared only once. [Prospect, p14]
  • All eight members of the Qatari weightlifting team at the 2000 Olympics were originally Bulgarian. [The Guardian, 27th September 2000]
  • Belgian water quality is the worst in the world. [New Scientist, 5th March 2003]
  • Nick Drake sold only 4,000 albums during his lifetime. Since his death in 1974, sales have reached nearly 1m. [Channel 4 News, 21st May 2004]
  • Under Ronald Reagan, federal spending in the US increased by 25 per cent. [Slate]
  • Britain's share of foreign direct investment in the EU has fallen from 28 per cent in 1998 to just over 5 per cent in 2003. [The Economist, 29th May 2004]
  • "Broadcast" is a term borrowed from farmers, describing what they do with seeds across a field. [Weekly Standard, 14th June 2004]
  • In Britain, 14.5m political conversations are held every day. [Electoral Commission]
  • More that 15 per cent of the British population owns a conservatory. [The Economist, 5th June 2004]
  • Two thirds of British pensioners say they would be happy to receive medical treatment abroad, more than in any other major European country. [Populus]
  • The 1968 Isle of Wight festival began as a fundraiser for a local swimming pool association. [The Times, 1st June 2002]
  • Surnames were illegal in Mongolia from th early 1920s until 1997, when they were legally reintroduced. But 10,000 people still have only one name. [Toronto Globe and Mail, 12th May 2004]
  • In 2002-03, 6 per cent of education public spending went on the early years, compared to 22.5 per cent on primary school, 27.8 per cent on secondary school, 11.6 per cent on further education and 12.8 per cent on higher education. [Social Market Foundation]