Guinness Book of World Records What do you know about the Guinness Book of World Records? What makes you special? How did it all start? On May 4, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, then later realized it was impossible to confirm in reference books. He then thought that a book supplying answers to such questions could be popular. The first 197-page edition of the "Guinness Book of Records" was bound on Aug. 27, 1955, and went on to the top of the British best-seller list by Christmas. Over 400 million copies have sold since the first edition. The most recent one to hit the shelves is the "Guinness World Records 2010."
Transcript
Guinness Book of World Records
What do you know about the Guinness Book of World Records?
What makes you special?
How did it all start?
On May 4, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, then later realized it was impossible to confirm in reference books. He then thought that a book supplying answers to such questions could be popular.
The first 197-page edition of the "Guinness Book of Records" was bound on Aug. 27, 1955, and went on to the top of the British best-seller list by Christmas. Over 400 million copies have sold since the first edition. The most recent one to hit the shelves is the "Guinness World Records 2010."
Largest rubber band ball
Joel Waul of the United States pushes his bouncing creation.The largest rubber band ball, which weighs 4,097 kilograms (9,032 pounds), was measured in Lauderhill, Fla., Nov. 13, 2008.
Most beer steins carried over 40 meters, female
The most beer steins carried over 40 meters (131 feet, 3 inches) by a female is 19. This was achieved by Anita Schwarz in Mesenich, Germany, on Nov. 9, 2008, in celebration of Guinness World Records Day.
Largest collection of 'Do Not Disturb' hotel signs
Jean-François Vernetti of Switzerland has collected 8,888 different 'Do Not Disturb' hotel signs from 189 countries across the world since 1985.
Longest fingernails, both hands
Melvin Booth (left) of Troy, Mich., had a combined fingernail length is 9.05 meters (29 feet, 8.3 inches). Lee Redmond(right), who had not cut her nails since 1979 and had them carefully manicured to reach a total length of 8.65 meters (28 feet, 4.5 inches), lost them when they broke off in a car accident in February.
Stretchiest skin
Garry Turner of Great Britain is able to stretch the skin of his stomach to a length of 15.8 centimeters (6.25 inches) due to a rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder of the connective tissues affecting the skin, ligaments and internal organs. The collagen that strengthens the skin and determines its elasticity becomes defective, resulting in, among other things, a loosening of the skin and hypermobility of the joints. In more serious cases, it can cause the fatal collapse or rupturing of blood vessels.
Full body ice contact endurance
The longest time spent in direct, full-body contact with ice is 1 hour 42 minutes and 22 seconds by Wim Hof of the Netherlands on Jan. 23, 2009.
Longest ear hair
Anthony Victor of India has hair sprouting from the center of his outer ears (middle of the pinna) that measures 18.1 centimeters (7.12 inches) at its longest point.
Heaviest weight pulled with eye sockets
The heaviest weight pulled with the eye sockets is 411.65 kilograms (907 pounds) and was achieved by The Space Cowboy, aka Chayne Hultgren of Australia, on the set of "Lo Show Dei Record" in Milan, Italy, on April 25, 2009.
Largest hamburger commercially available
The largest commercially available hamburger is 74.75 kilograms (164.8 pounds) and is available for $399 on the menu at Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar in Southgate, Mich., as of Aug. 29, 2008.
Hairiest man
Victor "Larry" Ramos Gomez, pictured, and Gabriel "Danny" Gomez (both of Mexico) are two of a family of 19 that spans five generations all suffering from the rare condition called Congenital Generalized Hypertrichosis, characterized by excessive facial and torso hair. The women are covered with a light to medium coat of hair while the men of the family have thick hair on approximately 98 percent of their body, apart from their hands and feet.
Farthest squirting milk from eye
Ilker Yilmaz of Turkey squirted milk from his eye a distance of 279.5 centimeters (9 feet, 2 inches) at the Armada Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sept. 1, 2004.
Smallest and tallest living horses
As of July 7, 2006, the record for the smallest living horse was held by Thumbelina, a miniature sorrel brown mare who measures 44.5 centimeters (17.5 inches) to the withers and is owned by Kay and Paul Goessling, who live on the Goose Creek Farm in St. Louis, Mo.
Radar, a Belgian draft horse, measured 19 hands, 3.5 inches (79.5 inches, 202 centimeters) without shoes on July 27, 2004. Radar is owned by Priefert Manufacturing Inc. of Mount Pleasant, Texas.
World's smallest man, woman with the world's longest legs
He Pingping from Mongolia, the world's smallest man (74.61 centimeters; 29.3 inches) stands between the legs of Svetlana Pankratova from Russia, the woman with the world's longest legs. Pankratova's legs are officially 51.9 inches long -- nearly 4 feet 4 inches.
Farthest eyeball popKim Goodman of the U.S. can pop her eyeballs to a protrusion of 11 millimeters (0.43 inch) beyond her eye sockets. Her eyes were measured on the set of the television show "Guinness World Records: Primetime," in Los Angeles on June 13, 1998.
The most tattooed senior citizen
The most tattooed senior citizen is Isobel Varley, who covered 93 percent of her body with the ink art.
