1. ITLAPD was created in 1995 by Americans John Baur and Mark Summers after one of them reacted to an injury in a racquetball game with a cry of “arrr!”
2. The date of September 19 was chosen as that was Summers’ ex-wife’s birthday.
3. Pirate talk is based on the West Country accent of Robert Newton in his role as Long John Silver in the 1950 Disney film of Treasure Island…
4. …though John Barrymore had been the first Long John to use “arrr!” to mean “yes” in 1934.
5. In 2013 the US State of Michigan passed legislation officially recognising ITLAPD.
6. The announcement that it had done so was made by Senator Roger Kahn, who wore an eye patch in the Senate and said: “Thank you, matey.”
7. Book piracy dates back to the 17th century. The first reference to video pirates was in 1969.
8. The Piracy Act of 1837 abolished the death penalty for most offences of piracy at sea but created a new capital offence of piracy of violence.
9. Until 1830 pirates were hanged at Execution Dock in Wapping as “enemies of all mankind”.
10. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the only Oscar-winning film with pirate in its title.