I'm not really a TV fan but ,the other day, the Greek show on Guiness World Records caught my eye. I was shocked at what people can do in order to gain a place in the Guiness World Records! I was so impressed that I surfed the Internet to find out more. Here's what I stumbled upon:
Sir Hugh Beaver - an Englishman - was the creator of the Guiness Book of Records. In November 1951, Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument: which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the Golden Plover or the Grouse? That evening at Castlebridge House it was realised that it was not possible to confirm in reference books whether or not the Golden Plover was Europe's fastest game bird.
Beaver thought that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in the 81,400 pubs in Britain and in Ireland, but there was no book with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular. He happened to be correct.
Beaver’s idea became reality when Guinness employee Christopher Chataway recommended University friends Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London. The brothers were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of Records in August 1954. A thousand copies were printed and given away
After founding the Guinness Book of Records at 107 Fleet Street, the first 198 page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best seller lists by Christmas. "It was a marketing give away - it wasn't supposed to be a money maker" said Beaver. The following year it launched in the USA, and sold 70,000 copies. Since then, Guinness World Records has become a household name and the global leader in world records. The book has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right, with sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 37 languages, Guinness World Records is the world’s best ever selling copyright book.
Having watched the video above I was simply amazed by all these crazy things people are willing to do for just a single moment of fleeting glory: driving a motorcycle through a tunnel of fire was described as "the raw courage of a man". And here are some other recent records such as most bees on a human being, highest stackline walk (what a daredevil that man was!), world's smallest waist, world's biggest wave surfed. I'm not a daredevil as I don't think taking risks is doing something intelligent or great! But when I was 18, back in 1976 when I first met Alkis, he talked me into posing on the edge of a cliff in Fribourg , Switzerland, just to have our photograph taken!!
But Alkis had broken a kind of record a few days before. He had climbed Fribourg's tallest bare tree! Such a pity it wasn't the world's tallest biggest bare tree!
What's the most dangerous or adventurous thing you have ever done?
Recent Comments