Guinness World Records
reference book listing world records
AI overview
Guinness World Records is a reference book that documents the world's superlative achievements across countless categories, from natural phenomena to human accomplishments. It matters because it serves as an authoritative and widely recognized source for verifying and celebrating extreme records, making it a cultural touchstone for people interested in what's the fastest, largest, smallest, or most unusual in the world.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Official website
- www.guinnessworldrecords.cn
- Image
- 6764 Guinness.JPG
Article
Guinness World Records (/ˈɡɪnɪs/), known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a British reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Sir Hugh Beaver created the concept in order to settle arguments debated in pubs, and twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter co-founded the book in London in late August 1955.
The first edition topped the bestseller list in the United Kingdom by Christmas 1955. The following year the book was launched internationally, and as of the 2026 edition, it is now in its 71st year of publication, published in 100 countries and 40 languages, and maintains over 53,000 records in its database.