Guinness World Records facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records Limited
Editor	Craig Glenday
Country	United Kingdom
Publisher	Jim Pattison Group
Published in English	27 August 1955; 70 years ago (27 August 1955)–present
Media type	Book television

Guinness World Records, also known as The Guinness Book of Records, is a famous British reference book. It comes out every year. This book lists amazing world records. These records include incredible things people have done. It also shows the extreme facts about the natural world.

The idea for the book came from Sir Hugh Beaver in 1951. He wanted to settle arguments people had in pubs. Twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter helped create the book. It was first published in London in August 1955.

The very first edition quickly became a bestseller in the United Kingdom. The next year, the book was launched around the world. The 2026 edition is the 72nd edition of the book. It is published in 100 countries and 40 languages. The company keeps track of over 53,000 records.

The Guinness World Records idea has grown beyond books. It now includes television series and museums. It is the main place people go to find and check world records. The organization has special judges called adjudicators. They make sure new records are real and fair.

Since 2008, the Jim Pattison Group has owned Guinness World Records. Its main office is in Canary Wharf, London. The company also helps people and groups create new world records. This can be a fun way to get attention for different projects.

History of Guinness World Records

How the Idea for the Book Started

On November 10, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver was on a hunting trip in Ireland. He was the boss of Guinness Breweries. He missed a shot at a bird called a golden plover. This led to an argument about which bird was the fastest in Europe.

Sir Hugh realized he couldn't find the answer in any book. He thought that many people had similar arguments every night. He believed a book with answers to these kinds of questions would be very popular.

The McWhirter Brothers and the First Book

Sir Hugh's idea came true with the help of Norris and Ross McWhirter. These twin brothers ran a fact-finding business in London. They were asked to create the book in August 1954.

At first, a thousand copies were given away for free. They went to pubs across Britain and Ireland. This was to help promote the Guinness brand. People loved them right away.

The first 198-page book was printed on August 27, 1955. It quickly became the number one bestseller in Britain. The next year, it came to the United States. It sold 70,000 copies there. Since then, Guinness World Records has sold over 150 million copies. It is available in 100 countries and 40 languages.

Norris McWhirter helped start the book with his twin brother Ross in August 1955. Their office was at 107 Fleet Street, London.

Growing Popularity and Changes Over Time

Because the book was so successful, many more editions were printed. A new version now comes out every year. It is usually published in late summer or early autumn. This is just in time for Christmas.

The McWhirter brothers worked on the book for many years. They had amazing memories. On the TV show Record Breakers, they would answer kids' questions about world records. Sadly, Ross McWhirter passed away in 1975. Norris continued as the book's editor.

Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi with two Guinness World Record certificates.

Over the years, the company that publishes the book changed owners several times. In 2008, the Jim Pattison Group bought it. The main office moved to South Quay Plaza in London in 2017.

Evolution of Records and Categories

What Kinds of Records Are There?

Newer editions of the book often focus on amazing things individuals can do. Records can be for many different activities. These include Olympic weightlifting or the longest egg tossing distance. Some records are for playing video games for a long time. Others are for eating many hot dogs quickly.

Besides competitions, the book lists many interesting facts. These include the most poisonous fungus. It also features the longest-running TV show. There are also records for the youngest people to achieve something. For example, the youngest person to visit all countries in the world.

Lucky Diamond Rich holds the Guinness World Record for "The world's most tattooed person".

Each year, the book shares a selection of records. These come from the huge Guinness World Records database. The rules for what records are included can change. The 2026 edition is the 72nd edition.

You can find all existing Guinness World Records online. You can also apply to break an existing record for free. If you want to suggest a brand new record, there is a small fee.

The North Beach in Nazaré, Portugal, is known for the biggest waves ever surfed.

Many spin-off books and TV shows have also been made. Ashrita Furman from New York holds the record for "Person with the most records." In April 2009, he held 100 records!

In 2005, Guinness started International Guinness World Records Day. This day encourages people to try and break world records. In 2006, about 100,000 people took part in over 10 countries. This led to many new records being set.

A Special Health Record

Dr. Sunil Gupta is in Guinness World Records for a special health event. He helped with the largest multi-location diabetic neuropathy screening. This happened on World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2013. During this event, 1,676 screenings were done in 27 places across India.

Defining and Verifying Records

How Records Are Made Official

Guinness World Records is the main authority for many records. They set the exact rules for what a record needs. They also have judges who go to events. These judges make sure that record attempts are real and fair.

The list of records is not always the same. New records can be added. Some records might also be removed for different reasons. Anyone can suggest a new record. You can also try to beat an existing one. The company also helps businesses use record-breaking for their projects.

Ethical and Safety Rules for Records

Guinness World Records has strict rules about what records they will accept. They will not accept records that involve harming animals. They also avoid records that could put people in danger.

For example, the "heaviest pet" record was removed. This was because some owners overfed their pets. This was not healthy for the animals.

Other records, like staying awake for a very long time, were stopped. This was because they were too dangerous for people's health. Records that waste food are also not allowed. Any food used in a record attempt must be eaten by people.

Environmentally unfriendly records are also not accepted. This includes releasing many sky lanterns or party balloons.

When Records Are Hard to Define

Sometimes, Guinness World Records cannot list certain records. This happens when it's too hard to measure them fairly. For example, they do not accept claims for "beauty." This is because beauty is different for everyone and cannot be measured objectively.

In 2010, they stopped accepting records for the "longest dreadlock." It became too difficult to judge this record accurately.

How Guinness World Records Works Today

In the past, the company earned most of its money from selling books. With the rise of the internet, book sales changed. Now, Guinness World Records also helps people and organizations achieve records.

While anyone can apply for free, there are paid services. These services offer help from advisors and judges. They can also help find good records to break. This is often used by companies or famous people. They use record attempts to get attention for new products or events.

Guinness World Records Museums

In 1976, a Guinness Book of World Records museum opened in the Empire State Building in New York. It had exhibits like life-size statues of the tallest man. It also showed an X-ray of a sword swallower. This museum closed in 1995.

Today, there are smaller Guinness World Records museums. These are often found in places popular with tourists. You can find them in cities like Tokyo, Copenhagen, and San Antonio.

Official Shop and Merchandise

Guinness World Records has an official online shop. It's called the Guinness World Records Store. Here, you can find items related to record-breaking. This includes official certificates, clothes, and the annual book.

The shop helps record-holders and the public get official materials. It's part of how the organization connects with people.

Guinness World Records on TV

Guinness World Records has created many TV shows. These shows feature people trying to break world records. Here are some examples:

Gamer's Edition

In 2008, Guinness World Records released a special gamer's edition. This book keeps track of records for video games. It includes high scores, special codes, and amazing feats. It works with Twin Galaxies, a group that tracks video game records.

The gamer's edition was published every year until 2020. It returned in 2025 with a new edition. The 2025 edition has 192 pages.

Other Fun Products

Board Game Fun

In 1975, Parker Brothers made a board game. It was called The Guinness Game of World Records. Players would try to set and break records in the game. They also answered trivia questions from the book.

Video Games

A video game called Guinness World Records: The Videogame was released in November 2008. It was made for Nintendo DS, Wii, and iOS.

Movie Plans

In 2012, Warner Bros. announced plans for a live-action movie. It would be based on Guinness World Records. However, the movie was never made.

Images for kids

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  Attendees at the 2011 Where's Wally? Guinness World Record event in Dublin, Ireland. A record for 3,872 people dressed as Wally was set. This was later beaten in 2017 with 4,626 people in Japan.

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  Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal, measuring 1 ft 9 1⁄2 in (54.6 cm), was the world's shortest man ever.

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  Robert Wadlow from the US, at 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m), was the world's tallest man ever.

See also

In Spanish: Libro Guinness de los récords para niños