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#26. Upon failing the entrance requirements for the British Foreign Service, Fleming joined the news agency Reuters as a journalist. He soon won the respect of his peers for his coverage of a "show trial" in the Soviet Union of several Royal Engineers on espionage charges.
#27. Fleming's own trademark? A cigarette (in holder) perched between the fingers of his right hand.
#28. His cousin is the famous horror actor — and Bond villain — Christopher Lee.
#29. The largest collection of Ian Fleming's novels is located at the Lilly Library, on the Indiana University campus, Bloomington, Indiana.
#30. Fleming got the name "James Bond" from a real-life ornithologist from Philadelphia who was called James Bond. Fleming had a copy of Bond's book, The Birds of the West Indies, and took a liking to it.
#31. He initially objected to the casting of Sean Connery as James Bond in Dr. No(1962) because he felt that Connery was too "unrefined". He later changed his mind after seeing Connery's performance in the finished film.
#32. Fleming was subsequently portrayed by Sean's son Jason Connery in TV movie The Secret Life of Ian Fleming.
#33. Fleming's scrapbook was sold at a charity auction in December 1992 by his step-daughter, Fionn O'Neill. It was auctioned at Sotheby's on New Bond Street, which served as a location in the movie Octopussy. Reportedly, the scrapbook was acquired for £30,000 by Fleming's nieces Lucy and Kate and his nephew Nichol. Proceeds went to the London Library.
#34. In 1995, the gold-plated "Royal" typewriter on which Fleming hammered out many of his 007 novels was auctioned by Christie's of London for £50,000 to a buyer who still remains anonymous.
#35. Some classic Fleming quotes: "My James Bond novels are really for a very specialized, limited market. I am not counting on the great unwashed public and do not expect them to fancy anything I write."
#36. "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, James Bond was much better than something more interesting like 'Peregrine Maltravers.' Exotic things would happen to and around him but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous blunt instrument wielded by a Government Department."
#37. "The target of my books lay somewhere between the solar plexus and the upper thigh."
#38. "Men want a woman whom they can turn on and off like a light switch."
#39. Reported last words, to the ambulance attendants: "Awfully sorry to trouble you chaps."
#40. 25 Bond by numbers facts: -- 1 -- books written 'as Ian Fleming' to celebrate his centenary. Devil May Care was written in Fleming's style by Sebastian Faulks.
#41. -- 2 -- Oscars won by James bond films (best sound effects for Goldfinger, special visual effects for Thunderball).
#42. -- 3 -- Bond themes sung by Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger,Thunderball and Diamonds Are Forever)
#43. -- 3 -- Oscar-winning actors to have played major roles in Bond films (Christopher Walken, Halle Berry, Judi Dench).
#44. -- 3 -- Different 007 movies Bond girl Maud Adams has appeared in (The Man With The Golden Gun, Octopussy, A View To A Kill).
#45. -- 5 -- Movies directed by John Glenn, beating Guy Hamilton (4), Terence Young (3), Lewis Gilbert (3) and Martin Campbell (2).
#46. -- 7 -- Full rolls the Aston Martin makes when it crashes in Casino Royale, a world record.
#47. -- 15 -- BMW 750s were destroyed during the making of Tomorrow Never Dies.
#48. -- 17 -- Times Desmond Llewelyn appeared as Q, beating Lois Maxwell's 14 appearances as Miss Moneypenny as the actor in the most Bonds.
#49. -- 30 -- The age George Lazenby was when he played Bond, the youngest 007 to date, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
#50. -- 57 -- The age Roger Moore was when he stopped playing 007, making him the oldest actor to date.