The Guinness Book of Records (today simply called Guinness World Records) is not just a global institution, it’s a record-breaker in its own right! Gord Laws takes a closer at the book’s rich history...

It’s 1 September 2004, and we’re in Istanbul, Turkey. A man called Ilker Yilmaz is carefully and methodically snorting half a cup of milk into his left nostril. With his nose full of full-cream goodness, he blocks it with his finger and proceeds to slowly peel down his left eyelid. With a look of sheer concentration, he flexes a series of facial muscles that most of us are probably not even aware of having and squirts a stream of white fluid no less than 2.79 metres… from his tear duct! It’s a world record!

No, poor Ilker is not the victim of some form of bizarre torture. Nor is he being forced into this seeming ludicrous act. He’s proudly demonstrating an ability that he’s spent his life perfecting. And in so doing, he’s setting a new world record and spraying his way into Guinness World Records – a book that has been the pride and joy of thousands of record-holders all over the world for the past 56 years.

Although milky tears stream down his face, Ilker is in fact thrilled, and until someone can beat his feat, he will be immortalised in print for the whole world to admire — or for those who find the whole affair a little unsettling, he will be immortalised in print for the whole world to be severely grossed out.

Men and their pride

It’s not really surprising to learn that Guinness World Records – or The Guinness Book of Records as it used to be (and is mostly widely) known – was born out of a man’s need to repair his wounded pride and, like many of the book’s entrants, to validate his level of skill.

In 1951, managing director of Guinness Breweries in Ireland, Sir Hugh Beaver, went on a game-bird shooting party with some friends in the county of Wexford. Sir Hugh considered himself an excellent shot, but on this fateful day, he was unable to land himself a single golden plover. Wounded by his failure, he suggested to his companions that the golden plover was surely the fastest game bird in all of Europe, if not the world. Some of his mates, however, reckoned that the grouse was the more likely title holder.

Sir Hugh would not be thwarted though, and upon his return, began studiously investigating the topic, trying to establish which – if either – of these birds is indeed the stealthiest in all of Europe’s skies. To his frustration, he was unable to find an emphatic answer. And then, he had an epiphany that would change the world. And make his company some serious loot in the process.

Pub ammo!

Sir Beaver realised in that fateful moment that there were almost certainly many similar debates out there needing to resolve topics relating to who or what is the biggest, fastest or heaviest out there. He also realised that men would rather enjoy having a comprehensive record of these on hand to settle arguments that arise whilst his beloved brew is being consumed at the pub. And thus the idea behind the Guinness book of Records was born.

He tracked down academic twins Norris and Ross McWhirter who, at the time, ran a fact-finding agency in London. Renowned for being studious and meticulous in their research, the twins set about compiling what would become the first volume of the Guinness Book of Records. It was released as a free, promotional brochure in August of 1954. Needless to say, it was a hit, and word of the book soon spread. As did demand for copies – and applications from people very keen to have their names and their achievements added.

Good fun, or asking for trouble?

Guinness World Records, although a massively successful institution, is not without its detractors. Critics argue that the book and its associated media outlets have become sensationalist gimmicks, intended more to shock and entertain than to inform and educate.

Many people have died in pursuit of world records. Like Audrey Mestre who, in 2002, attempted to break the world free-diving record by plunging 561 feet underwater with an empty air tank. Some 300 feet into her effort, she blacked out and was rushed to the surface. But, having spent nine minutes or so without oxygen, she could not be revived. And in 2005, an Iranian daredevil called Javad Palizbanian attempted to jump 22 buses on a motorbike. He crashed into the 13th bus and died on the scene; 13, it seems, was not his lucky number.

In their defence, though, Guinness World Records do make an effort to keep things reasonably sane. Several categories of record have been excluded from consideration because attempts to compete can be harmful to the contestant. The eating of unusual or dangerous items – like, say bicycles or chain links (yes, really) – has been removed from the book. In 1991, all consumption records involving liquor, wine or alcohol were discontinued. Although the speed-beer-drinking category was reinstated in 2008, it moved from the “Human Achievement” category into the “Modern Society” section.

Other sections have received the chop for ethical reasons. The category of heaviest fish, for example, was removed after a series of pet-owners force-fed their aquatic “friends” to death in an attempt to fatten them up beyond normal levels. Similarly, King Zog of Albania’s record for smoking 150 cigarettes a day is no longer open to be challenged. And, in an attempt to prevent wastage, all “largest food” related records must involve foods that can be eaten in their entirety, and must be distributed to the public after the record attempt is over.

How long is a piece of string?

Some records are really hard to validate. Even impossible. On 10 December 2010, the new category of “longest dreadlock” was rested because the length of a dreadlock is, in fact, almost impossible to measure. Made of tangled hair, the strands within the natty dread can vary in length, depending on how tightly it is wound. And dreadlocks can be extended or woven back together when broken. I’m sure the Rastas of Earth will get over it, though.

A record-breaker in itself

Today, the book is published in 37 languages and has sold more than 120 million copies. And it’s a record-breaker in its own right. It is the best-selling copyrighted book of all time and is also the most stolen book from US libraries.

Today, the brand is owned by the Jim Pattison Company, who also own Ripley Entertainment, producers of the massive, internationally syndicated TV show Ripley’s Believe it or Not. It has expanded into a television show, a museum and theme park and has offices in New York, Tokyo and a global headquarters in London. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the globe gather in large numbers and attempt to set or break all manner of records, from the amazing to the utterly ludicrous, on 9 November, which has been dubbed “International Guinness World Records Day”.

Each year, a new edition of the book is released just in time for Christmas. And it invariably sells thousands upon thousands of copies. Even though an edition might not differ very much from its predecessor, legions of people seem unable to cope without the latest version. You know, just in case someone somewhere has managed to peel and eat a kiwi fruit faster than ever before in the interim. By the way, that record belongs to Alastair Galpin, who achieved the noble feat in no less than 16 seconds. He might not have changed the world with that, but he did change the book. And until you can beat him, you have to respect him for it...

Awesome records!

• In September 2009, Canadian Kevin Fast pulled a CC-177 Globemaster III aeroplane, weighing 188.83 tonnes, over a distance of 8.8 metres, using only his body strength. You probably don’t want to challenge Kevin to a tug-of-war. Ever.
• The world record for highest jump by a dog belongs to Cinderella May – a greyhound from Florida, USA – for her heroic leap of 172.7cm.
• The largest playing-card structure was built by American Bryan Berg. His replica of the Venetian Macao Plaza measured 10.39 metres long, 2.88 metres tall and 3.54 metres wide. Bryan built it in Macau, China, on 10 March 2010.

Not-so-awesome records!

• The title of “Hairiest Teenager” belongs to Supatra Sasuphan (a girl) who, on 4 March 2010, was declared the record-holder using the Ferriman Gallwey method of evaluation of hirsutism. We find it amazing that there’s even a method in place to measure hairiness.
• The longest female fingernails in history belonged to Lee Redmond of the USA. From 1979 to 2008, she carefully manicured them to a combined length of 8.65 metres. Roughly a year later, she lost them in a car accident. The longest male fingernails ever belonged to Melvin Boothe, also of the USA. His nails measured a combined length of 9.85 metres when the record was set on 30 May 2009. Sadly, Melvin passed away in December of the same year.
• On 9 July 2011, Tyson Turk and Chris Elliot (piercer and piercee, respectively – both American) endured 3 700 body-piercings in one seven-hour-and-46-minute sitting, beating the previous record of 3 100.

...and totally bizarre records!

• The world’s largest screwdriver belongs to Thomas Blackthorne of the UK. Its acrylic handle measures 19,5cm at its widest point and is 50cm long. Its steel shaft is 2,5cm thick. The giant screwdriver’s total length is a mighty 101cm!
• The largest collection of rubber ducks belongs to Charlotte Lee of the USA. She’s the proud owner of 5 631 plastic water birds. Enough to bath with a different one every day for more than 15 years!
• The record for the loudest purr by a domestic cat was set by Smokey of Northampton in the UK. Smokey’s purr, measured by a sound-engineer at a distance of one metre, in the presence of a vet, peaked at 86.3 decibels.