Editing Guinness World Records (section)

==History==
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| footer = [[Norris McWhirter]] co-founded the book with his twin brother [[Ross McWhirter|Ross]] in August 1955 at Ludgate House, 107 [[Fleet Street]], London
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On 10 November 1951, Sir [[Hugh Beaver]], then the managing director of the [[Guinness Breweries]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of the Book |url=http://guinness.book-of-records.info/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225172648/http://guinness.book-of-records.info/history.html |archive-date=25 February 2012 |access-date=10 February 2012 |website=Guinness Record Book Collecting}}</ref> went on a shooting party in the [[North Slob]], by the [[River Slaney]] in [[County Wexford]], Ireland. After missing a shot at a [[European golden plover|golden plover]], he became involved in an argument over which was the fastest [[Game (food)|game bird]] in Europe, the golden plover or the [[red grouse]] (the plover is faster, but neither is the fastest game bird in Europe).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fionn Davenport |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RfL3QnPMi9oC&pg=PA193 |title=Ireland |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2010 |isbn=9781742203508 |page=193 |access-date=13 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513022833/https://books.google.com/books?id=RfL3QnPMi9oC&pg=PA193 |archive-date=13 May 2016 |url-status=live |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> That evening at [[Castlebridge]] House, he realised that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Early History of Guinness World Records |url=http://freespace.virgin.net/james.robertson/history2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701200438/http://freespace.virgin.net/james.robertson/history2.htm |archive-date=1 July 2007 |page=2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cavendish |first=Richard |date=August 2005 |title=Publication of the Guinness Book of Records: 27 August 1955 |journal=[[History Today]] |volume=55}}</ref> Beaver knew that there must have been numerous other questions debated nightly among the public, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records.<ref name="first">{{Cite news |title=Why Was the Guinness World Records Book First Published? |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/9/why-was-the-guinness-world-records-book-first-published-714607 |access-date=30 May 2024 |work=Guinness World Records}}</ref> He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove successful.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Guinness World Records 2005 |publisher=Guinness; 50th Anniversary edition |year=2004 |isbn=1892051222 |page=6}}</ref> Beaver's idea became reality when Guinness employee [[Christopher Chataway]] recommended university friends [[Norris McWhirter|Norris]] and [[Ross McWhirter]], who had been running a fact-finding agency in London.<ref name="NorrisObWash">{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=21 April 2004 |title=Norris McWhirter Dies; 'Guinness Book' Co-Founder |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/04/21/norris-mcwhirter-dies/278c9125-e98d-4bd4-94df-90720769fddd/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220155522/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/04/21/norris-mcwhirter-dies/278c9125-e98d-4bd4-94df-90720769fddd/ |archive-date=20 February 2023 |access-date=20 February 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> The twin brothers were commissioned to compile what became ''The Guinness Book of (Superlatives and now) Records,'' in August 1954. A thousand copies were distributed for free to pubs across Britain and Ireland as a promotional asset for the Guinness brand, and they became immensely popular with customers.<ref name="first" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness Book History 1950 – Present |url=http://spyhunter007.com/spy_guinness_book_history.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513093133/http://spyhunter007.com/spy_guinness_book_history.htm |archive-date=13 May 2006 |access-date=5 July 2006 |website=spyhunter007.com}}</ref>

After the founding of ''The Guinness Book of Records'' office at the top of Ludgate House, 107 [[Fleet Street]], London, the first 198-page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British bestseller list by Christmas.<ref name="best seller">{{Cite news |title=Guinness World Records History |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/60/through_the_years.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113002351/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/60/through_the_years.html |archive-date=13 November 2021 |access-date=12 November 2021 |work=Guinness World Records}}</ref> The following year, it was introduced into the United States by New York publisher [[David A. Boehm|David Boehm]] and sold 70,000 copies.<ref name="Martin">{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |date=10 February 2000 |title=David Boehm, 86, Record-Keeper to the World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/10/arts/david-boehm-86-record-keeper-to-the-world.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213045808/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/10/arts/david-boehm-86-record-keeper-to-the-world.html |archive-date=13 February 2022 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Since then, ''Guinness World Records'' has sold more than 150&nbsp;million copies in 100 countries and 40 languages.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Here's How the Guinness World Records Went from a Way to Settle Pub Arguments to a Worldwide Phenomenon |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/guinness-world-records-surviving-age-of-internet-and-social-media-2023-6 |access-date=8 June 2024 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness World Records Corporate – Home |url=http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821044202/http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.aspx |archive-date=21 August 2015 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

[[File:Kobayashi Takeru, Japanese competitive eater 2.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Japanese [[competitive eater]] [[Takeru Kobayashi]] with two Guinness World Record certificates]]
Because the book became a surprise hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in September/October, in time for Christmas.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Guinness Is Good for You at Christmas - but Not for Publishers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/dec/02/guinness-christmas-publishers-sales |access-date=8 June 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The McWhirters continued to compile it for many years. Both brothers had an encyclopedic memory; on the British children's television series ''[[Record Breakers]]'', based upon the book, which was broadcast on the [[BBC]] from 1972 to 2001, they would take questions posed by children in the audience on various world records and were able to give the correct answer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sheridan |first=Simon |title=The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee |date=2004 |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd |isbn=1903111277 |pages=217–221}}</ref> [[Ross McWhirter#Assassination|Ross McWhirter was assassinated]] by two members of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] in 1975, in response to offering a £50,000 reward for information that would lead to capture of members of the organisation.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 April 2004 |title=Record Breakers' McWhirter Dies |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3643039.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227122349/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3643039.stm |archive-date=27 December 2013 |access-date=9 June 2014 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Following Ross's assassination, the feature in the show where questions about records posed by children were answered was called ''Norris on the Spot''. Norris carried on as the book's sole editor.<ref name="NorrisObWash" />

[[File:Where’s Wally World Record (5846729480).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Attendees at the 2011 ''[[Where's Wally?]]'' Guinness World Record event in Dublin, Ireland. Setting a new record for 3,872 people dressed as Wally, the total was surpassed in 2017 with 4,626 people in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 October 2017 |title=Where's Wally? 4,626 People Dressed As Waldo Break a Record in Japan |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/commercial/2017/10/wheres-wally-4-626-people-dressed-as-waldo-break-a-record-in-japan-498860 |access-date=30 May 2020 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-GB}}</ref>]]

Guinness Superlatives, later Guinness World Records [[Private company limited by shares|Limited]], was incorporated in London in 1954 to publish the first book.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Guinness World Records Limited |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00541295 |access-date=1 June 2024 |agency=[[Companies House]].gov.uk}}</ref> [[Sterling Publishing]] owned the rights to the ''Guinness'' book in the US for decades until it was repurchased by Guinness in 1989 after an 18-month long lawsuit.<ref name=":0" /> The group was owned by Guinness PLC and subsequently [[Diageo]] until 2001, when it was purchased by [[Gullane Entertainment]] for £45.5 million ($65&nbsp;million).<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 July 2001 |title=Gullane Entertainment to Acquire Guinness World Records |url=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010701/hssu011.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010820144727/http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010701/hssu011.html |archive-date=20 August 2001 |access-date=12 June 2019 |website=[[PRNewswire]] |publisher=[[Cision]] |via=[[Yahoo! Finance|Yahoo.com]]}}</ref> Gullane was itself purchased by [[HIT Entertainment]] in 2002. In 2006, [[Apax Partners]] purchased HIT and subsequently sold Guinness World Records in early 2008 to the [[Jim Pattison Group]], the parent company of [[Ripley Entertainment]], which is licensed to operate Guinness World Records' Attractions. With offices in New York City and Tokyo, Guinness World Records' global headquarters remain in London, specifically [[South Quay Plaza]], [[Canary Wharf]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michal |date=March 2017 |title=A Peek Inside Guinness World Records' London Headquarters |url=https://www.officelovin.com/2017/03/peek-inside-guinness-world-records-london-headquarters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122145329/https://www.officelovin.com/2017/03/peek-inside-guinness-world-records-london-headquarters/ |archive-date=22 January 2022 |access-date=7 October 2022 |website=Officelovin' |quote=Having outgrown their existing space in Warren Street GWR appointed [[CBRE Group|CBRE]] to start an extensive building search, which ultimately led to the selection of South Quay, Canary Wharf.}}</ref> while its museum attractions are based at Ripley headquarters in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], Florida.

===Evolution===
[[File:Lucky Diamond Rich face.jpg|left|upright|thumb|[[Lucky Diamond Rich]] is "the world's most tattooed person", and has tattoos covering his entire body. He holds the Guinness World Records title {{As of|2006|lc=y}}.]]
Recent editions have focused on record feats by individuals. Competitions range from obvious ones such as [[Olympic weightlifting]] to the longest [[egg tossing]] distances, or for longest time spent playing ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' or the largest number of [[hot dog]]s consumed in three minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Hot Dogs Eaten in 3 Minutes |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/24214-most-hot-dogs-eaten-in-3-minutes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119160744/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/24214-most-hot-dogs-eaten-in-3-minutes |archive-date=19 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> Besides records about competitions, it contains such facts such as the heaviest tumour,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 1991 |title=Largest Tumour – Removed Intact |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/67567-largest-tumour-removed-intact |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120161133/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/67567-largest-tumour-removed-intact |archive-date=20 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> the most [[Mushroom poisoning|poisonous fungus]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Poisonous Fungus |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/66477-most-poisonous-fungus |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824012923/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/66477-most-poisonous-fungus |archive-date=24 August 2018 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> the longest-running soap opera<ref>{{Cite news |title=Longest-Running TV Soap Opera |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-running-tv-soap-opera |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123185453/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-running-tv-soap-opera |archive-date=23 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |work=Guinness World Records}}</ref> and the most valuable life-insurance policy,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2014 |title=Mystery Billionaire Takes Out Historic $201 Million Life Insurance Policy |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/3/mystery-billionaire-takes-out-historic-$201-million-life-insurance-policy-56096 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112152038/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/3/mystery-billionaire-takes-out-historic-$201-million-life-insurance-policy-56096 |archive-date=12 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> among others. Many records also relate to the youngest people to have achieved something, such as the youngest person to visit all nations of the world, currently held by [[Maurizio Giuliano]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Guinness Book of World Records |year=2006 |edition=UK |page=126}}</ref>

Each edition contains a selection of the records from the Guinness World Records database, as well as select new records, with the criteria for inclusion changing from year to year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glenday |first=Craig |date=18 December 2014 |title=r/IAmA – I Am Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records – the World's Best-Selling Annual Book – AMA! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2ppbdz/i_am_craig_glenday_editorinchief_at_guinness/cmywf2e |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807182909/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2ppbdz/i_am_craig_glenday_editorinchief_at_guinness/cmywf2e/ |archive-date=7 August 2021 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=reddit}}</ref> The latest edition is the 70th, published on 15 September 2023. It is the fourth and last installment featuring Rod Hunt's illustrations on the cover with the topic of 'The ocean and the water'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness World Records Archive |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/products/books/history-of-the-book/book-cover-archive |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

The retirement of Norris McWhirter from his consulting role in 1995 and the subsequent decision by Diageo Plc to sell ''The Guinness Book of Records'' brand have shifted the focus of the books from text-oriented to illustrated reference. A selection of records are curated for the book from the full archive but all existing Guinness World Records titles can be accessed by creating a login on the company's website. Applications made by individuals for existing record categories are free of charge. There is an administration fee of £5 (or $5) to propose a new record title.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Application Process |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/the-application-process/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109082310/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/the-application-process/ |archive-date=9 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

[[File:Can you see the surfer? (33988985575).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The North Beach ([[Nazaré, Portugal|Nazaré]], Portugal), listed on the Guinness World Records for the biggest waves ever surfed]]
A number of spin-off books<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness Record Book Collecting |url=https://guinness.book-of-records.info/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227142638/http://book-of-records.info/ |archive-date=27 December 2018 |access-date=12 January 2019 |website=guinness.book-of-records.info}}</ref> and television series have also been produced. ''Guinness World Records'' bestowed the record of "Person with the most records" on [[Ashrita Furman]] of Queens, New York, in April 2009; at that time, he held 100 records.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness World Records Honors One Man's Historic Milestone – 100 Records Broken! – Guinness World Records Blog Post |url=http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Guinness-World-Records-honors-one-mans-historic-milestone-100-Records-Broken/blog/241933/7691.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612221225/http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Guinness-World-Records-honors-one-mans-historic-milestone-100-Records-Broken/blog/241933/7691.html |archive-date=12 June 2009 |access-date=29 December 2009 |publisher=community.guinnessworldrecords.com}}</ref>

In 2005, Guinness designated 9 November as ''International Guinness World Records Day'' to encourage breaking of world records.<ref name="Guinness2006">{{Cite web |title=Records Shatter Across the Globe in Honor of Guinness World Records Day 2006 |url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061106005761&newsLang=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718032729/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061106005761&newsLang=en |archive-date=18 July 2012 |access-date=29 April 2007}}</ref> In 2006, an estimated 100,000 people participated in over 10 countries. Guinness reported 2,244 new records in 12 months, which was a 173% increase over the previous year.<ref name="Guinness2006" /> In February 2008, [[NBC]] aired ''The Top 100 Guinness World Records of All Time'' and Guinness World Records made the complete list available on their website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guinness World Records Live: Top 100 |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2008/01/080128.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610215601/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2008/01/080128.aspx |archive-date=10 June 2015 |access-date=6 November 2008 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

The popularity of the franchise has resulted in ''Guinness World Records'' becoming the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Midlands World Record Breakers |url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2012-09-13/midlands-world-record-breakers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015212647/https://www.itv.com/news/central/2012-09-13/midlands-world-record-breakers |archive-date=15 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022 |publisher=ITV News |quote=The Guinness World Records, the global authority on record breaking achievements}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Metallica Earns Spot in 'Guinness World Records' 2015 Edition |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-earns-spot-in-guinness-world-records-2015-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015212646/https://blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-earns-spot-in-guinness-world-records-2015-edition |archive-date=15 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022 |work=Blabbermouth |quote=Guinness World Records (GWR) is the universally recognized global authority on record-breaking achievement.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Lewandowski Enters Guinness World Record Books |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/noblmd14-lewandowski-enters-guinness-world-record-books.jsp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923040826/https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/noblmd14-lewandowski-enters-guinness-world-record-books.jsp |archive-date=23 September 2020 |access-date=5 August 2020 |publisher=Bundesliga |quote=Guinness World Records is the world's authority on record-breaking achievements.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Guinness World Records: How the Irish Brewer Became an Authority on Firsts, Feats and Pub Trivia |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/guinness-world-records-new-edition-history-origins-brewer-ireland-a8523941.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818203722/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/guinness-world-records-new-edition-history-origins-brewer-ireland-a8523941.html |archive-date=18 August 2020 |access-date=5 August 2020 |work=The Independent |quote=The book recounting record-breaking achievements from all manner of disciplines across the world is now in its 63rd edition and continues to be a bestseller, the place to go for anyone interested in finding out who is the world's most tattooed man or who built the fastest jet-powered go-kart.}}</ref>

===List of discontinued Guinness World Records===
Over its history, numerous world record categories have been discontinued. This list may include that the record poses a threat to health or the environment.{{incomplete list|date=October 2023}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Record
!Reason to discontinue
!Record holder
!Last appearance
!References
|-
Record name|The highest score achieved on Times Tables Rock Stars in one minute is 245
Where|Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Record holder|Shahid Akhter (UK)
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Michael K. |date=1 October 2011 |title=Claim to World Record for 'Balloonfest '86' Is Not All Hot Air: Michael K. Mcintyre's Tipoff |url=https://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/2011/10/claim_to_world_record_for_ball.html |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=The Plain Dealer |language=en |location=cleveland}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Chris |date=24 June 2023 |title=Where Truth Ends and Fake News Begins on Cleveland's 1986 Balloonfest: Letter from the Editor |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/06/where-truth-ends-and-fake-news-begins-on-clevelands-1986-balloonfest-letter-from-the-editor.html |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=cleveland |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
|-
|Largest audience at a [[camel wrestling]] festival (and other controversial animal sports)
|Concerns with animal welfare
|The 1994 Camel Wrestling Festival in [[Selçuk|Selçuk, Turkey]] had an audience of 20,000.
|2010
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|Fastest journey around the world by car
|Speed limits
|
| style="text-align: center;" | 1996
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|Fastest [[Yodeling|yodel]]
|
|In February 1992, a German yodeler named Thomas Scholl hit 22 tones in one second, 15 of which were [[falsetto]].
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|Heaviest pets
|Animal welfare. Encouraged people to over-feed their pets
|The winner for heaviest cat, Himmy, had to be transported in a wheelbarrow and weighed {{cvt|21.3|kg|lboz}} upon his death from respiratory failure in 1986.
| style="text-align: center;" | 1998
|<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=60 Years on, the Categories That Guinness World Records No Longer Monitors |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/8/60-years-on-the-categories-that-guinness-world-records-no-longer-monitors-393758 |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jowit |first=Juliette |date=19 July 2008 |title=Junk Food Diet Fuels Epidemic of Pet Obesity |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jul/20/animalwelfare.animalbehaviour |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref>
|-
|Hunger strikes and fasting
|Health concerns
|
|
|<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Kate |date=26 March 2021 |title=Guinness World Records That Are No Longer Accepted |url=https://www.grunge.com/366744/guinness-world-records-that-are-no-longer-accepted/ |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=Grunge |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Untimed [[gluttony]]
|Health concerns
|The 1955 edition declared the fastest time to eat an ox was 42 days, completed in 1880 by Germany's Johann Ketzler. A total of 43 gluttony records were discontinued in 1989, with just greatest omnivore remaining for historic value ([[Michel Lotito]] consumed chandeliers, bicycles, television sets, and a Cessna light aircraft). Though Guinness was not aware of anyone dying while attempting the records, a representative said "they are simply gross".<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 June 2022 |title=Guinness to Drop Gluttony Records |url=https://apnews.com/article/70f238e617e728163a0c23f0f0ee429 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606172642/https://apnews.com/article/70f238e617e728163a0c23f0f0ee4291 |archive-date=6 June 2022 |access-date=14 October 2024 |website=AP News}}</ref>
| style="text-align: center;" | 1989
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />
|-
|Largest penny pyramid
|Penny shortages
|In 1984 the award went to two preteens from [[Arizona]] named Marc Edwards and Ben Schlimme, Jr. who built a structure of 104,000 pennies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 September 1987 |title=Humble Pesos Rise in Mighty Pyramid As Teen-ager Stacks His Way to Fame |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-humble-pesos-rise-in/157141057/ |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=Arizona Daily Star |pages=30}}</ref>
| style="text-align: center;" | 1984
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|Largest pie fight
|Wasteful. Food in record attempts to be used "for general consumption by humans"
|
|
|<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gutoskey |first=Ellen |date=4 May 2022 |title=14 (Thankfully) Discontinued Guinness World Records |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/discontinued-guinness-world-records |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=Mental Floss |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Longest kiss
|Dangers associated with sleep deprivation
|
|2013
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Longest Kiss World Record Contest Was Discontinued, Guinness Explains Why |url=https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/longest-kiss-world-record-contest-was-discontinued-guinness-explains-why-4185928 |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=NDTV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Atwal |first=Sanj |date=6 July 2023 |title=Why Did We Deactivate the Longest Kiss World Record? |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/7/why-did-we-deactivate-the-longest-kiss-world-record-754853 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>
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|Longest time spent buried alive
|Unsafe
|In 1998, a "human mole" named Geoff Smith remained underground for 147 days in order to achieve the Guinness record and beat his mother's 101-day stint. Guinness denied the award for safety reasons, and Geoff stated "There are far more dangerous things in the book. There is a record for a man who eats cars."
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|<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Going Underground – What a Record! |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/229739.stm |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 January 1999 |title=Guinness Bury the Human Mole's Feat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-express-guinness-bury-the-human-mole/157145926/ |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=The Express |location=Glasgow |page=23 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Sam |date=13 December 1998 |title=The Underground Man |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-the-underground-man/157146372/ |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=The Observer |page=64 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
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|Longest time spent without sleeping
|Health concerns
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| style="text-align: center;" | 1974
|<ref name=":23">{{Cite web |last=Atwal |first=Sanj |title=What's the Limit to How Long a Human Can Stay Awake? And Why We Don't Monitor the Record |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/1/whats-the-limit-to-how-long-a-human-can-stay-awake-733188 |access-date=4 May 2024 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Zevely |first=Jeff |date=9 August 2022 |title=No Sleep for 12 Days! Roger Guy English Revisits His 1974 World Record |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/zevely-zone/roger-guy-english-revisits-his-1974-world-record/509-a6bc3940-0b69-4e46-ab4d-89bbd5d77314 |access-date=13 January 2024 |website=[[KFMB-TV]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keating |first=Sarah |date=18 January 2018 |title=The Boy Who Stayed Awake for 11 Days |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180118-the-boy-who-stayed-awake-for-11-days |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=BBC Future |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":02" />
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|Most beer drunk in an hour
|Health concerns
|Within 60 minutes, 23-year-old Jack Keyes drank 36 pints of beer. The feat occurred in 1969 in Northern Ireland.
| style="text-align: center;" | 1989
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|Most difficult tongue twister
|
|The 1974 edition featured "The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick".
|1974
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|Most greeting cards received by an individual
|Fear of overwhelming the postal system
|Young British brain cancer patient [[Craig Shergold]] set a record for receiving 33 million cards between 1989 and May 1991. However, due to an [[Email spoofing|email hoax]], the deluge of mail continued for more than a decade after Craig's recovery.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Get Well' Letter Idea Makes Family Sick 11 Years Later |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/get-well-letter-idea-makes-family-sick-11-years-later-1.292322 |access-date=14 October 2024 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 February 2001 |title=Caught Up in Chain Mail |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2001/feb/15/voluntarysector1 |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
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|Most guitars smashed during a concert tour
|"Guitar welfare"
|[[Matt Bellamy|Matthew Bellamy]] of the English rock band [[Muse (band)|Muse]] wrecked 140 guitars during a tour in 2004.
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|Most sky lanterns released simultaneously
|Environmental concerns
|In May 2013, 15,185 sky lanterns were released in [[Iloilo City|Iloilo City, Philippines]] to promote world peace.
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|Most [[Tweets (Twitter)|tweets]] in a single second
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|There were 143,199 tweets sent in a second on 2 August 2013. It occurred as the [[Studio Ghibli]] film [[Castle in the Sky|''Castle in the Sky'']] aired on Japan television because of a tradition of tweeting the word ''balse'' as it is said on screen. The previous record of 33,388 was set during a different airing of the film.<ref name=":0" />
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|Video game high scores
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|Fastest violinist
|Difficulty in conclusively determining whether all musical notes have been sufficiently played (even when slowed down)
|
| style="text-align: center;" | 2017
|<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0WGQbJbso |title=Fastest Violin Player |language=en |access-date=23 November 2023 |people=Guinness World Records}} The pinned comment reads: "It's worth noting that this is no longer a category that our records team monitor – the record has been rested. Our records managers are no longer able to monitor fastest musician records as it has become impossible to judge the quality of the renditions, even when slowed down. In terms of monitoring the number of musical notes, it is not clear if all notes have been played fully."</ref>
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|Longest dreadlock
|Difficulty in determining if re-attachment of broken hair occurred
|
|2006
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 October 2011 |title=Longest Dreadlock Record – Rested |url=http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-Dreadlock-Record-Rested/BLOG/3083932/7691.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005033245/http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-Dreadlock-Record-Rested/BLOG/3083932/7691.html |archive-date=5 October 2011 |access-date=14 October 2024 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>
|}