Happy 50th Birthday Madge! Madonna: queen of reinvention, flaunter of all things taboo, pioneer of the conical brassiere and, on 24th April 2008, a popstar with precisely 26 years' worth of hit-making under her belt. Here are a few things you didn't know about Madonna:
#1: Her biggest fear
Fear of bad reviews, fear of getting old, fear of slipping a disc on stage - these we could understand. What really gives Madonna the willies, however, is "brontophobia" - not a fear of the mighty brontosaurus, but a morbid fear of thunder.
#2: The celebrity relativesDistant relatives of Madonna include Gwen Stefani (a far-removed cousin), Celine Dion (they share a French-Canadian ancestor) and Mark Wahlberg (who is intermittently rumoured to have brawled/had a fling with her).
#3: The cola catastrophe
In 1989 Madonna was paid $5 million to promote Pepsi cola. After her single Like A Prayer caused a storm of international controversy, the ad was pulled from circulation. It was only aired once.
#4: A certifiable genius?
Madonna is reported to have an IQ of 140. Whether this was measured by one of those dodgy Internet self-assessment quizzes or under the stern gaze of Mensa officials, we're yet to confirm.
#5: The siblings
Madonna has seven siblings: Martin (a struggling alcoholic and failed rapper; "MC Ciccone"), Anthony (a TV production assistant), Christopher (an interior designer and artist), Paula (a go-go dancer and singer), Melanie (a publicist for Brian Eno's Opal Records), Mario (Director Of Merchandising at Maverick Records) and Jennifer (a half-sister whose fate remains unknown). There have been various reports of Madonna cutting ties with her siblings over their refusal to follow the teachings of Kabbalah.
#6: Ice Ice babyIn 1992 Madonna and coiffed rapper Vanilla Ice enjoyed an eight month relationship, during which time she reportedly would phone him in the middle of the night and demand to know if he was with another woman.
#7: The film flopsMadonna's 1986 film, Shanghai Surprise, in which she starred alongside her then husband Sean Penn, cost $17 million to make but grossed a meagre $2 million. She is the only person to have received the Razzie Awards for Worst Actress (Swept Away), Worst Supporting Actress (Die Another Day) and Worst Screen Couple (Swept Away) in the same year.
#8: Dedication's what you need
Hung Up was a number one single in Iraq. And Lithuania. And Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and, needless to say, the United Kingdom. All of which earned it a place in the Guiness Book Of World Records.
#9: Read 'em and weep
Most people know all about Madonna's aspirations as a children's author, but who's actually read one of her books? Exactly. Skip the boring bits - here's all you need to know: The Adventures Of Abdi (moral: everything happens for a reason), The English Roses (moral: jealousy is bad), Lotsa De Casha (moral: money won't buy you happiness), Mr. Peabody's Apples (moral: gossip is evil) and Yakov And The Seven Thieves (moral: bad people can do good stuff).

: Walk of Fame StarMadonna does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was selected for the honour in 1990 but she showed no interest and the invitation has now expired. Walk of Fame spokeswoman Ana Martinez-Holler states that, in order to receive a star, Madonna would have to be "resubmitted for a nomination," adding, "since she is not interested, I highly doubt that she will give a nominator the permission to do so."
