About Guinness World Records
In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting
party and became involved in an argument. Which was the fastest game bird in Europe – the golden
plover or the grouse? He realized then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question
might prove popular. He was right!
Sir Hugh’s idea became reality when Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding
agency in London, were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of Records. The first
edition was bound on August 27, 1955, and went to the top of the British bestseller lists by
Christmas that year.
Since then, Guinness World Records™ has become a household name and the global leader in world
records. No other enterprise collects, confirms, accredits and presents world record data with the
same investment in comprehensiveness and authenticity.
The Records Management Team maintains a vigilant watch to guarantee the accuracy and relevance
of each and every Guinness World Record™, the team of Records Managers operates with unswerving
impartiality and commitment to veracity. A fact may only become a Guinness World Record™ when it’s
tested, verified and elevated above all suspicion.
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 24 languages, Guinness World Records™ is the world’s
best ever selling copyright book!