Frank Foss of St Petersburg, Florida, played banjos made from frying pans at the ripe old age of 92. Ostrich eggs will support the weight of a 280lb man. And, in case you weren't aware, a guy from St Louis, Missouri, known as 'Smoky', could exhale cigarette smoke through a hole in his back. For these fantastically random and wondrous facts, which may or may not be true, we have to thank Robert L Ripley.

Ever since Believe It Or Not! debuted on 19 Dec 1918 in the New York Globe, Ripley's relentless pursuit of anything strange, extraordinary and downright freaky has captured the curiosity of the world.