For her 80th birthday in 1947, Queen Mary requested a radio play be written for her by Agatha Christie. The play – broadcast on May 30, 1947 – was called Three Blind Mice but when Christie adapted it to a stage play in 1951 it was renamed The Mousetrap. It debuted on November 25, 1952.

Whether they're twirling, leaping, bending, gliding or nearly flying through the air, accomplished ballet dancers make their graceful feats look effortless.

Any way you look at it, Cirque du Soleil is a phenomenal success story. In only 20 years, it has carved out a unique niche in the entertainment industry, spread to cities all over the globe and earned rave reviews every step of the way. And it's doing just fine financially too: Cirque's assets are worth an estimated $1 billion, its annual ticket sales have climbed above $450 million, and more than 40 million people worldwide have attended at least one Cirque show.

Did you know the word housekeeping was a Shakespeare invention? He's responsible for over 1,700 words we use every day. And another thing....

A circus is offering free counselling to anyone who is scared of clowns.