52 Facts About Michael Palin

1. Michael Palin is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter.

2. Michael Palin has continued to delight audiences as a writer and performer.

3. Michael Palin has faithfully kept a diary since his first brushes with fame.

4. In 1980, Michael Palin planted the seeds for a new on-screen identity by presenting an episode of Great Railway Journeys of the World.

5. Michael Palin continued to work with his Python cohorts, pairing with Jones to create the BBC comedy series Ripping Yarns and starring in the Beatles mockumentary The Rutles: All You Need is Cash.

6. Michael Palin wasted little time in getting his professional career off the ground.

7. Michael Palin gained notice as a member of the Brightside and Carbrook Co-Operative Society Players, earning an award at the 1962 Co-Op Drama Festival.

8. Michael Palin has received three Special BAFTA awards for his solo work and his work as part of Monty Python.

9. Michael Palin has presented shows on history and in particular the First World War.

10. Michael Palin has released books covering the journeys he has undertaken on his shows.

11. Michael Palin agreed and brought Idle, Jones, and Gilliam with him.

12. Michael Palin began working with Terry Jones on comedy scripts for numerous television shows.

13. Michael Palin is an English comedian, actor and television presenter.

14. Sir Michael Palin says: "I've had some very nice, sarcasm-free emails from all of the Pythons.

15. Michael Palin is the only Python to receive a knighthood.

16. Michael Palin was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to television in the 2000 New Year Honours.

17. Michael Palin joins his fellow Pythons John Cleese and Terry Jones in receiving an honorary degree from the Fife institution.

18. In November 2008, Michael Palin presented a First World War documentary about Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, when thousands of soldiers lost their lives in battle after the war had officially ended.

19. Michael Palin notes in his book of Around the World in 80 Days that the final leg of his journey could originally have taken him and his crew on one of the trains involved in the Clapham Junction rail crash, but they arrived ahead of schedule and caught an earlier train.

20. Michael Palin rides vintage train lines and trains including Flying Scotsman.

21. In July 2010, Michael Palin sent a message of support for the Dongria Kondh tribe of India, who are resisting mining on their land by the company Vedanta Resources.

22. Michael Palin co-starred with Maggie Smith again in the 1984 comedy film A Private Function.

23. Michael Palin starred as Dennis the Peasant in Terry Gilliam's 1977 film Jabberwocky.

24. Michael Palin appeared as the "It's" man at the beginning of most episodes.

25. Michael Palin performed and wrote in the Oxford Revue with Jones.

26. Michael Palin was born in Ranmoor, Sheffield, the second child and only son of Edward Moreton Palin.

27. Michael Palin was a member of the comedy group Monty Python.

28. Michael Palin is off on another unconventional adventure documentary for the cameras.

29. Michael Palin is only available for a limited time so please be prompt for 1pm.

30. Michael Palin will be among actors leading the tributes and a special citation written by Sir Michael Morpurgo will be read out.

31. In recent years, Michael Palin has written and presented occasional documentary programmes on artists that interest him.

32. In 1994, Michael Palin travelled through Ireland for the same series, entitled "Derry to Kerry".

33. Michael Palin said, "I've been to the Nyamgiri Hills in Orissa and seen the forces of money and power that Vedanta Resources have arrayed against a people who have occupied their land for thousands of years, who husband the forest sustainably and make no great demands on the state or the government.

34. In 1991 Michael Palin appeared in a film, American Friends, he wrote based upon a real event in the life of his great-grandfather, a fellow at St John's College, Oxford.

35. In 1982, Michael Palin wrote and starred in The Missionary, co-starring Maggie Smith.

36. In the same year Michael Palin joined the Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative Society Players and first gained fame when he won an acting award at a Co-op drama festival.

37. At the age of 10, Michael Palin, still interested in acting, made a comedy monologue and read a Shakespeare play to his mother while playing all the parts.

38. When he was five years old, Michael Palin had his first acting experience at Birkdale playing Martha Cratchit in a school performance of A Christmas Carol.

39. On 12 May 2013, Michael Palin was made a BAFTA fellow, the highest honour that is conferred by the organisation.

40. In 2000 Michael Palin was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to television.

41. Michael Palin wrote most of his comedic material with fellow Python member Terry Jones.

42. Michael Palin tells The Idler that he was surprised to discover a flourishing beer industry north of the 38th parallel.

43. In June 2009, Michael Palin was elected for a three-year term as President of the Royal Geographical Society.

44. In The Bright Side of Life, Michael Palin continued on a Scottish theme, looking at the work of the Scottish Colourists.

45. At the Kyle of Lochalsh, Michael Palin bought the station's long metal platform sign and is seen lugging it back to London with him.

46. In July 2015, Michael Palin signed an open letter and gave an interview to support "a strong BBC at the centre of British life" at a time the government was reviewing the corporation's size and activities.

47. On 2 January 2011, Michael Palin became the first person to sign the UK-based Campaign for Better Transport's Fair Fares Now campaign.

48. Michael Palin had a small cameo role in Australian soap opera Home and Away.

49. Michael Palin was cast in a supporting role in the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedy You've Got Mail, but his role was eventually cut entirely.

50. Michael Palin appeared in All You Need Is Cash as Eric Manchester (based on Derek Taylor), the press agent for the Rutles.

51. Michael Palin continued to work with Jones after Python, co-writing Ripping Yarns.

52. Michael Palin visited North Korea this year and found it much more welcoming of the West than he had expected.