injuries of, 24, 192
locations for record-setting by, 16–19, 21–23, 25, 30–31, 44
pace of record setting of, 5, 20, 25, 26, 31, 182
proposals for records submitted by, 59–60
rule-induced failures of, 11–12, 143
serial record breaking by, 88, 121–23, 188, 234
spirituality of, 2–3, 6–10, 15, 16, 24–26, 28, 111
television appearances of, 19–21, 104, 180
versatility of, 10, 128
Game bird, fastest, 35, 37, 38, 44, 219
Gardner, Randy, 205
Garside, Robert, 235–37
Garson, Greer, 184
Gascoyne, David, 93
Geldof, Bob, 184
Georgia, University of, 136
Germany, 175, 183, 186, 203, 255
Germeny, Gerry, 93
Get to Your Marks (McWhirter), 42
Ghose, Chinmoy Kumar, see Chinmoy, Sri
Glasgow Hilton Hotel, 161
Glass balancing, 24, 192
Glenday, Craig, 61, 78, 105, 112, 162–63, 172, 182, 194, 206, 209, 217
Gobi Desert (Mongolia), 30
Goethe, Johann von, 134
Goh, Robert, 179
Goldfish swallowing, 197–98
Golf, 55–59, 90, 140
long-distance, 59, 62–69, 135–37, 152, 154–55, 214
Golf balls
balancing, 57, 85
biggest collection of, 57
Golf Magazine, 55, 56, 66–68, 137, 211
Good Morning America (TV show), 27, 68, 72, 115
Gorbachev, Mikhail, 8
Gorilla suits, largest gathering of people wearing, xx
Goya, Francisco, 218
Grand Met, 255
Grapes, catching in mouth, 29
Great Gorilla Fun Run (London), xx
Great Pyramids, 21, 25
Green, Henrietta Howland, 74
Greener, Chris, 77
Greyfriar’s Bobby (Edinburgh), 22–23
Grice, Rosemary, 52
Guardian, 50, 113, 129
Guide to British Track and Field Literature from 1275—1968, The (McWhirter), 42
Guinness, Arthur, 38, 253, 257
Guinness: The Stories Behind the Records, 132
Guinness Book of Irish Facts & Feats, The, 185
Guinness Book of Military Blunders, The, 256
Guinness Book of Records, see Guinness World Records
Guinness Book of Superlatives, The, xii, 52–53
Guinness PLC, xi, xii, 158, 178, 254, 255
Guinness Publishing, xi, 254–56
Guinnessport, 85–101, 104–8, 127, 137, 174, 222
canine, 226
for charity, 92–93
competitiveness in, 88–90
debut of, 91, 98
most extreme, 240–41
origins of, 85–86, 118
sanctioning of, 106–7
self-esteem and, 131
smashing, 93–97
on television, 104–6
throwing, 99
Guinness Stout, xi, xiii, 38, 48, 100, 253
speed drinking, 197
Guinness Time, 37, 54, 158
Guinness World Records (previously
The Guinness Book of Records;
The Guinness Book of World Records) xi, xii, xi–xiii, 57, 136, 154, 158, 176, 179, 211–14
activities made up to achieve records in, see Guinnessport
celebrities in, xix, 126–28, 255
changes in, 26–27, 74–75, 84–85, 100–101, 129–30, 255
deaths related to, 189–91
fame and, 114, 116–19, 123, 125, 126, 131
fiftieth anniversary of, xviii, 56, 66, 76
first American edition of, 51–53, 74, 254
first paperback edition of, 254
first revised version of, 91
foreign-language editions of, 53, 174, 183, 186
fraction of records included in, 250–51
Keeper of the Records for, 3, 66, 68, 94, 112, 141, 194, 209
media and, 93
museums based on, 178, 185–86, 200, 255
original edition of, 30, 32–34, 37, 39–54, 82–84, 183, 195–96, 253
pictures in, 71–72, 74–75, 113
record attempts banned by, 192–93, 197–206, 250
resistance to unabridged version of, 215–16
safety rules of, 143, 206–209
special millennium edition of, 159
target audience of, 6, 101, 256
television shows based on, 105–6, 186, 204, 213, 223, 254, 255 (see also Record Breakers)
typed backwards, 241
warnings in, 196–98
as world’s best-selling copyrighted book, 2, 73, 254
Guinness World Records Ltd., xi–xiii, 106, 108, 216–18, 236, 237, 255–57
claim proposals submitted to, 247–49
website of, 38, 58, 112, 199
Gullane Entertainment, 256
Haggis
biggest, 160, 161
throwing, 88, 99
Hair, longest, 80
arm, 181–82
ear, 176, 225
Halpern, Jake, 114–15, 121–25, 128–29, 135, 188
Hamburgers
biggest, 158
most eaten, 83
Hand clapping, 13, 192
Handstand walking, 118
Hanks, Tom, 79, 126, 127
Harrah’s Casino, 138
Harvard Crimson, 41
Harvard University, 238
Healy, Pete, 169
Hedge, tallest, 185
Helicopters, 201–2
Hello! magazine, 131
Hemingway, Ernest, 218
Herrera Delgado, Jorge, 162–63
Hershey Foods, 160, 168
Hertrich, Rainer, 239–40
Hillary, Sir Edmund, 44, 76, 86, 157, 179, 191
Hilton, Paris, 128
Hindustan Times, 176
HIT Entertainment, 256
Hoffman, Toby, 223
Hogan, Ben, 55
Hollingsworth, William, 132
Homer, 125
Hoover Dam, 75
Hopping on one leg, 23
Horn, Rudy, xx
Hot air balloons, 20, 90, 98, 191
Houses
of cards, 224–25
destroying, 96–97
Howard, Ron, 127
Huascaranin, Mount, 131
Hughes, Robert Earl, 72, 73, 79, 80, 83
Hula hooping, 24–26
underwater, 31
Human mannequin, 202
Hungary, 224
Huntley-Flint, Dorothy, 89–90
Hurling, 186
Ice cream
biggest concoctions, 158, 161, 167–68, 170
speed eating, 196
Iceland, 21
Ice pop, biggest, 170–71
Iliad, The (Homer), 125
Importance of Being Famous, The (Orth), 123
Inc. magazine, 139 Independent, The, 32–33, 71, 84, 101, 192
India, 22, 35, 173–77, 185
big food records in, 163
bizarre record attempts in, 207–8
Guinness World Record museums in, 173, 178
media coverage of record attempts in, 173
Indo-Asian News Service, 187
Indonesia, 21, 186
Industrial Fund for the Advancement of Scientific Education in Schools, 35
International Association of Athletic Federations, 140–41
Internet, 113, 138
Iraq, 186
war in, 152
Ireland, xviii, 95, 183–85
fattest man and woman in, 80
Guinness brewery in, 38, 253, 257 Irish Daily Mail, 184
Irish Independent, 184, 185 Irish News, 184
Irish Republican Army, 254
Iron maiden, 200, 204
Irwin, Chris, 254–55
Italy, 161–62, 186
Iveag
h, Rupert Guinness, Earl of, 32–33, 35, 48, 101, 109
Izumi, Shigechiyo, 81, 82
Jacko (rodent-killing terrier), 33, 86–87, 226
Jackson, Michael, 114
Japan, 186, 224
Jennings, Ken, 34, 50, 73, 80, 134, 138 Jeopardy!, 34, 134
Joachim, Suresh, 29, 115–16, 188
Joe Weider’s Muscle & Fitness magazine, 226
Joggling (juggling while jogging), 19, 88
John Paul II, Pope, 8
Johnson, Samuel, 32
Jolie, Angelina, 126
Jones, Bobby, 55
Jones, Carole, 198
Jones, Grace, 222
Jones, Dame Gwyneth, 222–23
Jones, people with surname, 222–23
Jordan, 186
Josh the Wonder Dog, 226–27
Judaism, 5–6, 9, 24
Juggling, 12, 16, 18, 19, 74, 84
most balls or plates, 83
underwater, 10, 19, 22–23
Jumping jacks, 12, 13, 20, 25
Jumping rope, 19, 30
Karunakaren, Vadivelu, 176
Kearns, Michael, 189–90
Key Largo (Florida), 31
Khoo Swee Chiow, 179, 180
Kingston, Miles, 70–71, 84, 101
Kirshenbaum, Jerry, 85
Kissing, 224
Knievel, Evel, xix
Knitting, nonstop, 92, 93
Kontrimas, Antanas, 225–26
Kresse, Joe, xvi, 147, 149, 150
Krispy Kreme, 170
Kuwait, 186
Kwok, Barry, 206–7
Landers, Ann, xix
Landy, John, 44, 45, 83
Langley, Rich, 141
Lasky, Michael, 171
Lebanon, 186
Lemons, peeling and eating, 16
Lunar landing, 80, 100
Leonard, Sugar Ray, 98
Leppard, Tom “Leopard Man,” 119
Letterman, David, 19
Lewis, Carl, 8
Lexis-Nexis, 246
Libya, 186
Limca Record Book, 178
Lincoln, Abraham, 81
Lipscomb, Steve, 139
Live Aid, 184
London Daily Mail, 235–37
London Daily Telegraph, 172, 183
London Marathon, 21
London School of Economics, 39
London Star, 43
London Stock Exchange, 38
Lopez, Jennifer, 127
Los Angeles Times, 198, 204
Lotito, Michel, 193–94, 197
Love, Courtney, 128
Low, Carey, 124, 181–82
Loz, Ted, 57
Luncheon, world’s highest, 131–32
Lunenburg (Massachusetts) Lions
Club, 163
Madrid, 218
Major League Baseball, 217
Malaysia, 22, 23, 174
Mall (Washington, D.C.), 21
Mama Lena’s Pizza House (Pittsburgh), 159–60
Mandela, Nelson, 8
Man Who Ate the 747, The (Sherwood), 27, 73, 116, 175, 194–95
Mara, Ratu Kamises, 42
Marathon des Sables, 236
Marriages
greatest weight differential, 80
longest-lasting, 74
most, 91
Marshall, Arron, 118, 132
Martel, Jim, 134–35, 145
Martin, Lang, 85
Maryborough (Australia), 228–29
Masterson, Robert, 177, 178, 205–6, 218, 245
Matthews, Peter, 55, 204
McCrary twins, 71, 72, 79, 80, 100, 112, 194, 211
McEwan, Roger, 92, 93
McFarlan, Donald, 193, 206
McGauran, Terry, 180
McWhirter, Norris, 40–54, 88, 99–100, 128, 132, 213, 219, 233
Ashrita congratulated by, 10
changes in book decried by, 129–30
death of, 256
fact business established by, 42–43
on fame seekers, 112
family background of, 40–41
feats recognized as nearly impossible by, 30, 70, 247
first edition of Guinness Book of
Records produced by, 47–51, 84, 91
Guinnessport defended by, 108
hired by Sir Hugh, 40, 45–47, 215, 253
and oldest people alive, 81
at Oxford, 41–42, 44
retirement of, 254
Sir Hugh’s inspiration for book recounted by, 37
television appearances of, 43, 53–54, 102, 103
U.S. record-breaking phenomenon recognized by, 174–75
and U.S. market, 52–53, 71
McWhirter, Ross, 37, 40–54, 88, 99–100, 213, 219
assassination by IRA of, 254
fact business established by, 42–43
family background of, 40–41
first edition of Guinness Book of
Records produced by, 47–51, 84, 91
hired by Sir Hugh, 40, 45–47, 253
at Oxford, 41–42, 44
and television, 53–54, 103
U.S. record-breaking phenomenon recognized by, 83, 174–75
McWhirter Twins Ltd., 43
Medway College of Art and Medway
College of Technology, 95
Meegan, George, 237–38
Melville, Herman, 157 Men’s Journal, 79, 86
Mentos, 169–70
Mexico, big food records in, 162–63
Microsoft Corporation, 163
Milk bottle balancing, 13–16, 20, 25–26, 30, 132
Miller, Ray, 189–90
Millionaire, most miserly, 74
Million of Facts, A (Phillips), 50
Minagawa, Yone, 82
Ministry of Works, British, 35
Minoff, Marv, 204
Mission Hills Golf Resort (China), 219
Moby Dick (Melville), 157
Mongolia, 23, 30–31
Moore, Archie, 98
Morocco, 27, 186
Morse, Wayne, 46
Moss, Stephen, 50, 129
Motor cycle
jumping, 191
riding up CN Tower on, 180
Movie-watching marathons, 143
Movies stars, records attributed to, 126–29
Moyne, Lord, 46
Mulholland, Steve, 189
Murphy, Rick, 118
Murray, Jennifer, 201–2
Murugesan family, 207–8
Musical chairs, 61–62
Musso, Derek, 167–68
Mustache, longest, 2, 71, 74, 80, 87–88, 225
MySpace, 110, 213
Nathan’s Coney Island, 193
National Aeronautic Association, 201
National Basketball Association (NBA), 152
National Broadcasting Company (NBC), 68, 105, 106, 164
National Football League (NFL), 98, 229
National Geographic Kids magazine, 214
National Hockey League (NHL), 98
National League All-Star team, 98
Navy, U.S., 238
Nelson, Dorothy, 53
Netherland, Chad, 201, 203–4
Newbold, C. J., 35
Newman, Steven, 230–31, 234, 235, 237
Newport, Stewart, 3, 112, 209, 237
New South Wales Golf Club (Sydney), 63–65
Newsweek, 117, 120, 136, 254
New York City, 16
bike races in, 9, 219
Fire Department, 166
fireworks in, 98
Guinness World Records Museum in, 200
playing card homage to, 225
New York Daily News, 144
New York Magazine, 138
New York Post, 171
New York Times, 2, 3, 10, 24, 38, 77, 129
Niagara Falls, 110
Nicklaus, Jack, 55, 58
Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, 72
Nixon, Richard, 105
Norberg, people with surname, 222 N
orris McWhirter’s Book of Millennium Records (McWhirter), 129–30
Northcliffe Newspaper Group, 40
North Pole, 158, 188, 189, 202
Norway, 31
Nose, orange pushing, 15, 18, 62, 89, 175
Notre Dame University, 61–62
Nummisto, Ilkka, 203–4
Nursing mothers, 227–28
Obesity, see Fattest people O’Donnell, Daniel, 184
O’Donnell, Rosie, 129 Odyssey, The (Homer), 125, 241
Offensend, James, 247
Office building, largest, 75
Oldest people, 71, 74, 80–82
competitive walker and runner, 126
in space, 90
Old Faithful (Yellowstone Park), 21
Olympic Games, 41, 43, 70, 103, 104, 111, 203, 214
O’Malley, Beverly Nina, 91
Oman, 186
Omnivore, greatest, 193–94
Online skates, longest line of people on, 179–80
Open Net (Plimpton), 98
Orange pushing, 15, 18, 62, 89, 175
Orens, Nobby, 59, 62, 63, 66–67
Orth, Maureen, 123
Oscars, 33, 127
Ottawa Citizen, 182
Out of My League (Plimpton), 98
Outside magazine, 79, 86, 107, 126, 233
Owens, Jesse, 132
Oxford University, 20, 41–42, 44, 45, 197
P.O.V. magazine, 138