HISTORY

 

 

On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the grouse (the former being correct). 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.[6 Beaver knew that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in pubs throughout Ireland, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular.

August 1954

Sir Hugh Beaver invites Norris and Ross McWhirter, sports journalists who provided facts and figures to the newspapers of Fleet Street in London, UK, to compile what was then known as the Guinness Book of Records.

Key RecordScientist John Lilly (USA) designs – and is the first to have a dip in – the first sensory deprivation tank.

27 August 1955

The first edition of The Guinness Book of Records is bound and released in the UK. It became a Christmas best-seller that year.

1956

First US edition of the Guinness Book of Records is published .

1962

First French edition is published.

Key RecordMarlon Brando (USA) becomes the first actor to break the $1 million threshold for a movie role with $1.25 million (£400,500) for Mutiny on the Bounty – $4.184 million (£6.07 million) in today’s figures.

 

 

1963

First German edition is published.

 

1967

First editions in Japanese, Spanish, Danish and Norwegian are published.

Key RecordOn 27 June 1967, the first cash dispenseris installed at Barclays Bank, Enfield, Middlesex, UK.

 

1968

First editions in Swedish, Finnish and Italian are published.

 

1971

First Dutch edition is published

Key RecordRay Tomlinson of MIT (USA) sends the first ever email, which reads QWERTYUIOP.

 

1976

First Czech edition is published.

 

1977

First editions in Hebrew, Serbo-Croat and Icelandic are published.

Key RecordCaptain Walter H Mullikin (USA) makes thefastest aerial circumnavigation of the Earth via both Poles by plane in 54 hr 7 min 12 sec (including refuelling stops) between 28 and 31 October 1977.

 

1978

First Slovenian edition is published.

 

1996

Guinness World Records opens office in New York, U.S.

Key RecordAlexander Wurz (Austria, b. 15 February 1974) becomes the youngest winner of the Le Mans 24-hour race on 16 June 1996, aged 22 years 123 days.

 

1999

The Guinness World Records 2000 book is printed in a single run of 2,402,000 copies, the largest single print run of a case-bound book in color.

 

2000

www.guinnessworldrecords.com launches.

Key RecordEasyEverything launches on 28 November 2000 in Times Square, New York, USA, with 760 computer terminals, making it the largest internet café.

 

2003

100,000,000th copy of the Guinness World Records book is sold!

 

9 November 2005

First annual Guinness World Records Day takes place.

Key RecordEnthusiastic record-breaker Alastair Galpin (New Zealand) celebrates GWR Day with the most socks worn on one foot, with 70 at Prime Television, Auckland, New Zealand.

 

2007

The world’s most authoritative videogames guide, theGuinness World Records Gamer’s Edition launches.

 

2010

Guinness World Records opens office in Tokyo, Japan.

 

2011 

Key RecordOn 12 June, Junrey Balawing (Philippines) becomes the shortest living man, measuring 59.93 cm (23.5 in).

 

2012

Guinness World Records opens office in Beijing, China.

Key RecordOn 26 February, Chandra Bahadur Dangi (Nepal) – at 54.6 cm (21.5 in) – becomes not only the shortest living man, but also the shortest man ever measured.