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World Records: Human Achievements & GWR History

136 cards · 🇺🇸 English

The history of Guinness World Records and its most remarkable human record holders.

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Who was the tallest person ever recorded?

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  1. 1Who was the tallest person ever recorded?
    Robert Wadlow from the US, at 8 feet 11 inches (2.72 m)
  2. 2Who was the shortest man ever recorded?
    Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal, measuring 1 ft 9½ in (54.6 cm)
  3. 3When was the first Guinness Book of Records published?
    27 August 1955
  4. 4Who created the concept of the Guinness Book of Records?
    Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of Guinness Breweries
  5. 5Who were the twin brothers who co-founded the Guinness Book of Records?
    Norris and Ross McWhirter
  6. 6What argument inspired Sir Hugh Beaver to create the Guinness Book of Records?
    A debate about whether the golden plover or red grouse was the fastest game bird in Europe
  7. 7Where did the argument that inspired the Guinness Book occur?
    During a shooting party at North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland on 10 November 1951
  8. 8How many copies has Guinness World Records sold since its inception?
    More than 150 million copies in 100 countries and 40 languages
  9. 9How many records does Guinness World Records maintain in its database?
    Over 53,000 records (as of the 2026 edition)
  10. 10What was the original purpose of distributing the first Guinness Book?
    A thousand copies were distributed for free to pubs across Britain and Ireland as a promotional asset for the Guinness brand
  11. 11Who holds the record for 'The world's most tattooed person' (as of 2006)?
    Lucky Diamond Rich, with tattoos covering his entire body
  12. 12What happened to Ross McWhirter in 1975?
    He was assassinated by two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army after offering a £50,000 reward for information on the organization
  13. 13Who currently owns Guinness World Records?
    The Jim Pattison Group (since 2008)
  14. 14Where is Guinness World Records' global headquarters located?
    South Quay Plaza, Canary Wharf, London
  15. 15What is International Guinness World Records Day?
    9 November, designated in 2005 to encourage breaking of world records
  16. 16Who holds the record of 'Person with the most records'?
    Ashrita Furman of Queens, New York (held 100 records in April 2009)
  17. 17Why was the 'heaviest pet' record category discontinued?
    Animal welfare concerns - many owners overfed their pets beyond healthy bounds
  18. 18What was the heaviest cat ever recorded?
    Himmy, weighing 21.3 kg (46 lb 15 oz), who had to be transported in a wheelbarrow
  19. 19Why was the 'longest time spent without sleeping' record discontinued?
    Health concerns - the category was closed in 1974 for being too dangerous
  20. 20What environmental record was discontinued due to Balloonfest '86?
    The largest ever mass balloon release
  21. 21Why were all beer drinking records removed in 1991?
    Health concerns and potential litigation; they were reinstated in 2008
  22. 22What was the record for most beer drunk in an hour?
    36 pints by 23-year-old Jack Keyes in 1969 in Northern Ireland
  23. 23What was the 'most difficult tongue twister' featured in 1974?
    The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick
  24. 24Why was the 'largest penny pyramid' record discontinued in 1984?
    Penny shortages, at the request of the U.S. Mint
  25. 25Who built the largest penny pyramid in 1984?
    Two preteens from Arizona named Marc Edwards and Ben Schlimme, Jr. who built a structure of 104,000 pennies
  26. 26Why was the 'fastest journey around the world by car' discontinued?
    Due to speed limits
  27. 27What record did Matthew Bellamy of Muse set in 2004?
    Most guitars smashed during a concert tour - 140 guitars
  28. 28What record involved Castle in the Sky and Twitter in 2013?
    Most tweets in a single second - 143,199 tweets when the Studio Ghibli film aired on Japanese television
  29. 29Why was the 'longest kiss' record discontinued in 2013?
    Dangers associated with sleep deprivation
  30. 30What record did Craig Shergold set between 1989 and 1991?
    Most greeting cards received by an individual - 33 million cards

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