50 wacky Guinness World Records you didn't know existed
50 wacky Guinness World Records you didn't know existed
The inception of the Guinness World Records started with a good, old fashioned argument. In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver found himself in passionate disagreement concerning the speed of game birds. It was in this moment, when Sir Hugh Beaver realized he had no way of knowing which bird was truly the fastest, that the first seed of the Guinness World Records was planted.
Over 63 years later, the Guinness World Records are still going strong. People from all around the globe try their hand at some of the world's most reputable records, often pulling out all the stops for a chance in the global spotlight. There are records for running, sleeping, eating, and contenders surpass the impossible daily.
There are also some downright bizarre incidents.
To find the weirdest Guinness World Records out there, Stacker went to the Guinness World Records database and manually curated a list of the best, weirdest records around. From hairy teenagers to a multi-thousand dollar cheesecake, it's up to you to decide which records push your limits of belief.
Most canned drinks opened by a parrot in one minute
- Record: Most canned drinks opened by a parrot in one minute, 35 cans
- Record Holder: Zac
- Date record was broken: 1/12/2012
- Location in which record was broken: San Jose, United States
Polly wanna canned drink? The record was actually broken by Zac the Macaw in San Jose, as he proved he could open 35 canned drinks in one minute.
Longest career as an ice-cream man
- Record: Longest career as an ice-cream man, 67 years
- Record Holder: Allan Ganz
- Date record was broken: 5/17/2014
- Location in which record was broken: West Peabody, United States
Allan Ganz's record of 67 years as an ice cream man, from 1947 - 2014, is undoubtedly a record worthy of world recognition. The argument could be made that Ganz also deserves an award for listening to the same ice cream truck tune for over three decades.
Largest collection of snow globes
- Record: Largest collection of snow globes, 4,059 total number
- Record Holder: Wendy Suen
- Date record was broken: 11/27/2016
- Location in which record was broken: China Mainland
The most amazing thing about this record is not that Wendy Suen owns over four thousand snow globes (where does she store them?), but that she's beaten her own records for most snow globes owned twice now. That's a lot of snow globes.
Fastest marathon dressed as a telephone box
- Record: Fastest marathon dressed as a telephone box, 4:06:37 hour(s):minute(s):second(s)
- Record Holder: Mark Williamson
- Date record was broken: 9/24/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Hull, United Kingdom
We just have one question, Mark: why a telephone box? Regardless, the marathon time of 4 hours 6 minutes and 37 seconds is impressive. Mark Williamson broke the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a telephone box in Hull, United Kingdom on September 24, 2017.
Most layers in a sandwich
- Record: Most layers in a sandwich, 60 layers total number
- Record Holder: TH Outdoor & Events LLC
- Date record was broken: 10/22/2016
- Location in which record was broken: New York, United States
A sampling of the most layered sandwich in history: salami and mustard. It's predecessor featured peanut butter, bacon, and marshmallow. Delicious.
Most mustard (tube) drunk in 30 seconds
- Record: Most mustard (tube) drunk in 30 seconds, 14.7 ounces
- Record Holder: Andre Ortolf
- Date record was broken: 1/5/2015
- Location in which record was broken: Schwarzach, Germany
There are many strange things to eat, and three tubes of mustard fits the bill. Andre Ortolf inhaled the textured condiment on January 5, 2015, consuming almost 15 ounces in 30 seconds.
Deadliest lake
- Record: Deadliest lake, 2,000 people
- Record Holder: Lake Nyos
- Date record was broken: 8/1/1986
- Location in which record was broken: Cameroon (Lake Nyos)
This world record is bizarre because it wasn't awarded to any particular person, or skill. The "deadliest lake" was declared in 1986, when Lake Nyos in Cameroon claimed over 1,500 lives in a single night though a large natural release of carbon dioxide gas.
Largest underwater human pyramid
- Record: Largest underwater human pyramid, 62 people
- Record Holder: John Shaddick, Tyler Reiser, Manolo Cabasal
- Date record was broken: 10/15/2013
- Location in which record was broken: Koh Tao, Thailand
The largest underwater human pyramid consists of 62 people and was organized by Tyler Reiser, Manolo Cabasal (both USA) and John Shaddick (Australia) in Mango Bay, Koh Tao, Thailand, on 15 October 2013.
Most garters removed with the teeth in one minute
- Record: Most garters removed with the teeth in one minute, 26 garters
- Record Holder: Ivo Grosche
- Date record was broken: 12/18/2008
- Location in which record was broken: Germany
It takes a certain level of skill to remove a garter with your teeth, but Ivo Grosche blew all competition out of the water when he removed 26 garters with his teeth in late-2008.
Largest whoopee cushion
- Record: Largest whoopee cushion, 7.62 metre(s)
- Record Holder: Matt Funk, Lee Burgess
- Date record was broken: 8/5/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Covington, United States
The largest whoopee cushion measures 25 feet in diameter and required many bodies to help deflate. Achieved by Matt Funk and Lee Burgess in Georgia, USA on August 5, 2017, their feat is one that would make Bart Simpson truly proud.
Most drink cans crushed with elbow in one minute
- Record: Most drink cans crushed with elbow in one minute, 77 cans
- Record Holder: muhammad rashid
- Date record was broken: 4/17/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Gemona, Italy
If you're in a fraternity, "crushing" a can likely means chugging a beer. If you're Muhammad Rashid, it looks more like taking 77 cans and crushing them under your elbow in one minute.
Longest duration controlling a soccer ball on an elevated slackline
- Record: Longest duration controlling a soccer ball on an elevated slackline, 29.82 second(s)
- Record Holder: John Farnworth
- Date record was broken: 1/14/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Preston, United Kingdom
Suspended in the air, John Farnworth controlled a soccer ball for 29.82 seconds. Farnworth boasts an additional seven world records, all concerning soccer skills.
Most Instagrammed city (current)
- Record: Most Instagrammed city (current)
- Record Holder: New York
- Date record was broken: 12/1/2017
- Location in which record was broken: New York, New York, United States
Say cheese New York, because you're on camera. The most Instagrammed city in the world as of December 2017 is New York, New York, a city of dreams and many photogenic buildings.
Largest plesiosaur
- Record: Largest plesiosaur, 82 feet
- Record Holder: Unknown
- Date record was broken: 1/6/2003
- Location in which record was broken: United Kingdom (Fossilised specimens are relatively common and have been found in Europe and South America)
Yes - there is a world record for a dinosaur relative that lived over 150 million years ago. We're as confused as you are. With a length of up to 82 feet, it was admittedly a very large plesiosaur.
Most Pi places memorised
- Record: Most Pi places memorised, 70,000 decimal places
- Record Holder: Rajveer Meena
- Date record was broken: 3/21/2015
- Location in which record was broken: Vellore, India
It took Rajveer Meena ten hours to relay the 70,000 decimal places of Pi he had memorized. Imagine how long it took him to learn them.
Fastest escape from a straitjacket underwater
- Record: Fastest escape from a straitjacket underwater, 22.86 second(s)
- Record Holder: Lucas Wilson
- Date record was broken: 7/7/2014
- Location in which record was broken: Milan, Italy
Feel like risking your life for a thrill? Easy: just put yourself in a straitjacket and jump into the water. You should be able to figure it out from there. Lucas Wilson was able to escape in under 23 seconds, so it shouldn't be too hard.
Most roof tiles broken in one minute (female)
- Record: Most roof tiles broken in one minute (female), 923 roof tiles
- Record Holder: Lisa Dennis
- Date record was broken: 7/11/2014
- Location in which record was broken: Milan, Italy
Another therapeutic record, Lisa Dennis channeled her energy into breaking roof tiles. She channeled so much of it, in fact, that she broke 923 tiles in one minute. Arranged in stacks of ten, Dennis was able to efficiently break multiple tile stacks at a time.
Largest cup percussion ensemble
- Record: Largest cup percussion ensemble, 2,398 people
- Record Holder: Du Tianlu
- Date record was broken: 5/21/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Xi'an, China Mainland
Getting 2,398 people to show up in the same place and start playing music on cups is no small feat, but it was nevertheless achieved in China on May 21, 2017.
Most teeth in a mouth
- Record: Most teeth in a mouth, 37 teeth
- Record Holder: Vijay Kumar V.A
- Date record was broken: 9/20/2014
- Location in which record was broken: Davangere, India
Most people have 32 teeth. Vijay Kumar, however, was born with an extra five, making him the de facto world record holder for most teeth. As well as giving him a great smile, Kumar says he was able to notice his superior chomping skills as a child.
Shortest married couple
- Record: Shortest married couple, 181.41 centimetre(s)
- Record Holder: Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros, Katyucia Lie Hoshino
- Date record was broken: 11/3/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Itapeva, Brazil
At a combined height of 71.42 inches stand the world's shortest married couple. Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros and Katyucia Lie Hoshino are 35.54 inches and 35.88 inches respectively. They got married on September 17, 2016, in Brazil.
Heaviest lemon
- Record: Heaviest lemon, 11 pounds 9.7 ounces
- Record Holder: Aharon Shemoel
- Date record was broken: 1/8/2003
- Location in which record was broken: Kefar Zeitim, Israel
Someone call Bugs Bunny, there's something he needs to see! The world's heaviest carrot weighed in at 22.44 lbs on September 9, 2017 in Minnesota. Grower Christopher Qualley says that next he's going for the pumpkins.
Tallest high top fade
- Record: Tallest high top fade, 52.07 centimetres
- Record Holder: Benny Harlem
- Date record was broken: 11/6/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Los Angeles, United States
Topping out at 20.5 inches, Benny Harlem's high top fade is the tallest hair around - and can take upwards of two hours to properly style.
Heaviest carrot
- Record: Heaviest carrot, 22.44 pounds
- Record Holder: Christopher Qualley
- Date record was broken: 9/9/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Otsego, United States
Someone call Bugs Bunny, there's something he needs to see! The world's heaviest carrot weighed in at 22.44 lbs on September 9, 2017 in Minnesota. Grower Christopher Qualley says that next he's going for the pumpkins.
Most hamburgers eaten in three minutes
- Record: Most hamburgers eaten in three minutes, 12 burgers
- Record Holder: Takeru Kobayashi
- Date record was broken: 7/11/2014
- Location in which record was broken: Milan, Italy
The most bizarre thing about this record is not necessarily that Takeru Kobayashi was able to eat 12 hamburgers in three minutes - it's that he chose mayonnaise over ketchup as his one permitted condiment.
Largest M&M's mosaic (logo)
- Record: Largest M&M's mosaic (logo), 49.5919 square metre(s)
- Record Holder: MARS Incorporated
- Date record was broken: 9/29/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Sofia, Bulgaria
It is undeniable that humankind has evolved greatly since first appearing on the Earth. We've made medical, technological, and economic advancements, and as this record demonstrates, we've even made artistic ones. Mosaics have a long, rich history: it is fitting their 21st century counterpart is in the form of M&M's. Constructed by 27 people, the mosaic took 17 hours 30 minutes to assemble and consisted of approximately 291,490 M&M's.
Most expensive cheesecake
- Record: Most expensive cheesecake, $4,592.42
- Record Holder: Raffaele Ronca
- Date record was broken: 10/30/2017
- Location in which record was broken: New York, United States
Born from a client's wish to give his mother a birthday to remember, the world's most expensive cheesecake is decadence personified. Layered with $300 worth of cognac and topped with actual gold flakes, it's arguably a cheesecake that should never have been created. That being said, those who try it feel it could be worth the money.
Most pots thrown in one hour by an individual
- Record: Most pots thrown in one hour by an individual, 159 total number
- Record Holder: Joel Cherrico
- Date record was broken: 3/7/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Collegeville, United States
Unlike the other records on this list that involve throwing, Joel Cherrico didn't break a world record by smashing 159 pots in one hour; he broke it by making them.
High score on Guitar Hero III (Female)
- Record: High score on Guitar Hero III (Female), 789,349
- Record Holder: Annie Leung
- Date record was broken: 9/30/2010
- Location in which record was broken: San Francisco, United States
"So far away we wait for the day/For the lives all so wasted and gone" - lyrics Annie Leung clearly felt didn't apply to her when she broke the world record for the highest score on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock by a female gamer. Playing "Through the Fire and Flames" Leung racked up an impressive score of 789,349.
Loudest scream by a crowd (outdoors)
- Record: Loudest scream by a crowd (outdoors), 127.2 decibel(s) (A-weighted)
- Record Holder: Matias Viitasalo
- Date record was broken: 4/16/2005
- Location in which record was broken: Siilinjarvi, Finland
In 2005, a group of people got together and collectively decided to scream as loud as they could. At 127 dB, the sound was comparable to that of a loud rock concert.
Heaviest vehicle pulled by shoulder blades
- Record: Heaviest vehicle pulled by shoulder blades, 2,358 pounds
- Record Holder: Abhishek Chaubey
- Date record was broken: 9/4/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India
By simply placing a wooden block between his shoulder blades and squeezing very, very hard, Abhishek Choubey was able to pull a vehicle weighing over 2358 lbs. Set in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, 2016, Choubey pulled the car 27.5 feet before finally having to stop.
Largest margarine sculpture
- Record: Largest margarine sculpture, 3321.925 pounds
- Record Holder: Devwrat Anand Jategaonkar
- Date record was broken: 2/23/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Mumbai, India
The largest margarine sculpture featured carvings by artist Devwrat Anand Jategaonkar. It took ten days to complete, and four years to plan. The result was worth it - weighing in at 3321.925 lbs, Jategaonkar's margarine sculpture definitely broke the world record.
Most people lifted and thrown in 2 minutes (female)
- Record: Most people lifted and thrown in 2 minutes (female), 12 people
- Record Holder: Aneta Florczyk
- Date record was broken: 12/19/2008
- Location in which record was broken: Madrid, Spain
Perhaps the most therapeutic-sounding world record on this list, Aneta Florczyk broke the world record for most people lifted and thrown in two minutes by throwing 12, successively.
Largest gathering of people dressed as Mohandas Gandhi
- Record: Largest gathering of people dressed as Mohandas Gandhi, 4,605 people
- Record Holder: Venkat, St Ann's & Venus group of institutions
- Date record was broken: 10/2/2015
- Location in which record was broken: Bengaluru, India
Gandhi once said “Whatever you do will be insignificant. But it is very important that you do it.” The sentiment may apply perfectly to 4,605 Indian students dressing up as Mohandas Gandhi in early October, 2015, and gathering together.
Most toilet seats broken by the head in one minute
- Record: Most toilet seats broken by the head in one minute, 46 wooden toilet seats
- Record Holder: Kevin Shelley
- Date record was broken: 9/1/2007
- Location in which record was broken: Cologne, Germany
It isn't entirely clear how Kevin Shelley got the idea in his head, but one day he woke up and decided he'd probably be able to break some wooden toilet seats with his head. Flash forward to September 1st, 2007, and Shelley is setting a world record by breaking 46 wooden toilet seats with his head.
Most slices of carrots sliced while blindfolded in 30 seconds
- Record: Most slices of carrots sliced while blindfolded in 30 seconds, 88 total number
- Record Holder: Hiroyuki Terada
- Date record was broken: 7/12/2017
- Location in which record was broken: Los Angeles, United States
The pinnacle of culinary skill: slicing 88 carrots in 30 seconds. While blindfolded. Achieved by Hirouyki Terada on a Gordon Ramsay set, the record is especially remarkable considering this writer buys pre-sliced carrots.
Most basketball slam dunks in one minute by a rabbit
- Record: Most basketball slam dunks in one minute by a rabbit, 7 slam dunks
- Record Holder: Bini the Bunny
- Date record was broken: 10/31/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Long Beach, United States
You have to see it to believe it. Bini the Bunny (a Holland Lop rabbit) broke the world record for most slam dunks by a rabbit in one minute with seven quick hops. (In case you're wondering, the basketball hoop was sized appropriately for Bini the Bunny's height).
Longest eyelash
- Record: Longest eyelash, 12.4 centimetre(s)
- Record Holder: You Jianxia
- Date record was broken: 6/28/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Changzhou, China Mainland
Growing on You Jianxia's left upper lid is a remarkable thing: a 4.88 inch eyelash, slightly curly, and slightly thick. It's accompanied by other (seemingly) impossible long lashes.
Longest tiramisu
- Record: Longest tiramisu, 875 feet 7 inches
- Record Holder: Mirko Ricci, Tiare Shopping
- Date record was broken: 2/11/2018
- Location in which record was broken: Villesse, Italy
The longest tiramisu was layered with love and care in Italy on February 11, 2018. Its final length came in at 875 feet 7 inches - to add some perspective, the Eiffel Tower is just over 1,000 feet. The Statue of Liberty is 305 feet. So, to put it another way, there was once a tiramisu three times the length of the Statue of Liberty.
Most Smarties/M&Ms eaten in one minute blindfolded using chopsticks
- Record: Most Smarties/M&Ms eaten in one minute blindfolded using chopsticks, 20 M&Ms
- Record Holder: Ashrita Furman
- Date record was broken: 12/8/2011
- Location in which record was broken: New York, United States
Using chopsticks is hard enough - using chopsticks while blindfolded is a whole different ball game. Throw some M&Ms into the mix, and you have yourself a spectacle worth watching. Ashrita Furman broke the world record for most M&Ms eaten in one minute while blindfolded in New York, New York, by consuming 20 M&Ms.
Most baked beans eaten with chopsticks in one minute
- Record: Most baked beans eaten with chopsticks in one minute, 71 baked beans
- Record Holder: Cherry Yoshitake
- Date record was broken: 7/1/2015
- Location in which record was broken: RAF Bentwaters, United Kingdom
In some of the most serious athleticism ever recorded, Cherry Yoshitake picked up his chopsticks and consumed 71 baked beans in a single minute. His competitors came in miles behind, at 65 and 36 beans respectively.
Fastest time to drink one litre of lemon juice through a straw
- Record: Fastest time to drink one litre of lemon juice through a straw, 22.75 second(s)
- Record Holder: Dennis Bermudez
- Date record was broken: 5/17/2016
- Location in which record was broken: New York, United States
First tide pods, now lemon juice? At least in Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez's case, consuming lemon juice was an attempt to break at world record. In just 22.75 seconds, Bermudez drank an entire litre of lemon juice.
Most items kicked off people's heads in one minute
- Record: Most items kicked off people's heads in one minute, 59 total number
- Record Holder: Silvana Shamuon
- Date record was broken: 6/1/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Waterloo, Canada
How many soccer balls do you think you'd be able to kick in one minute? 30? 40? Maybe even 50? Whatever it is, it likely isn't as impressive as Silvana Shamoun's record of 59. Oh, there's a catch: Shamuon was actually kicking objects off people's heads. Achieved in Ontario, Canada, Shamoun set the record on 1 June 2016.
Fastest half marathon pushing a pram (female)
- Record: Fastest half marathon pushing a pram (female), 1:27:34 hour(s):minute(s):second(s)
- Record Holder: Lindsy James
- Date record was broken: 6/5/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Derby, United Kingdom
When Lindsy James heard about people dressing up as crazy things to run marathons, she decided to one up them entirely...by pushing her son Archie in a pram. Attempting the run in memory of her mother, James completed a half marathon in just one hour, 27 minutes and 34 seconds.
Most human targets hit with plungers in one minute
- Record: Most human targets hit with plungers in one minute, 15 rubber plungers
- Record Holder: Gerhard Donie
- Date record was broken: 9/14/2010
- Location in which record was broken: Tokyo, Japan
The crowd gasped. They held their breath. And then, with one, final push, they watched as Gerhard Donie broke his previous record of throwing plungers at people in a single minute by one. That's right, people. In one minute, Gerhard Donie was able to throw fifteen rubber plungers at people. The feat was achieved on the set of TV Asahi in Japan, on 14 September 2010.
Stretchiest skin
- Record: Stretchiest skin, 6.25 inches
- Record Holder: Garry Turner
- Date record was broken: 10/29/1999
- Location in which record was broken: Los Angeles, California, United States
This is one trick yoga can't teach you. Due to a rare medical condition, Gary Turner is able to stretch out his stomach skin by 6.25 inches, making him the stretchiest man on earth.
First robot table tennis tutor
- Record: First robot table tennis tutor
- Record Holder: Ping Pong Robot
- Date record was broken: 10/20/2015
- Location in which record was broken: Japan
People who believe robots are going to take over the world aren't likely to be calmed by this world record. Anti-social people, however, may be happier. The world's first table tennis tutor arrived in 2015.
Most Jenga blocks removed by whip in one minute
- Record: Most Jenga blocks removed by whip in one minute, 4 Jenga blocks
- Record Holder: April Choi
- Date record was broken: 8/27/2016
- Location in which record was broken: Peoria, United States
Just when you never thought you'd hear the words "Jenga" and "whip" in the same sentence, April Choi comes along. Able to remove four jenga blocks in one minute, Choi broke a world record no-one is really sure should have existed.
Highest-ranking sheep
- Record: Highest-ranking sheep, Lance Corporal ranked #1
- Record Holder: Lance Corporal Derby XXX
- Date record was broken: 9/1/2015
- Location in which record was broken: Chester, Dale Barracks, United Kingdom
Here to prove that success can come in all shapes, sizes, and species is Lance Corporal Derby XXX, a sheep in the British army. Not just any sheep - the most highly-decorated in history.
Fastest marathon dressed as a Viking
- Record: Fastest marathon dressed as a Viking, 3:03:11 hour(s):minute(s):second(s)
- Record Holder: Paul Richards
- Date record was broken: 4/23/2017
- Location in which record was broken: London, England
Running a marathon is a hard, rewarding experience. Running a marathon dressed as a Viking? Undoubtedly superior. Fortunately, Paul Richards decided to prove it once and for all on a gloomy day in London. Clocking in at 3 hours 3 minutes and 11 seconds, Richards beat the previous record by a whole nine minutes.
Hairiest teenager
- Record: Hairiest teenager
- Record Holder: Supatra Sasuphan
- Date record was broken: 3/4/2010
- Location in which record was broken: Italy, Rome
A world record for "hairiest teenager" sounds like a nightmare for any self-conscious, hormonal teen, but for Supatra Sasuphan being crowned the world's hairiest teenager was a special moment. Born in Thailand, Sasuphan traveled on a plane for the first time to get to the ceremony.