Think You’ve Seen It All? These 17 Guinness World Records Will Change Your Mind
Guinness World Records often push the limits of human capabilities. We picture record breakers as incredibly strong, fast, or otherwise skillful.
Over the years, though, some people have set records that are a little strange. Most of the record-breakers on this list aren’t athletes or professionals. These are people drawn to being the best wherever they can.
Though many of these records are beyond bizarre, we have to hand it to the people (and animals) that set them. Being the best in the world at something, even if it’s breaking toilet seats on your head, is an awesome feat.
1: Most Candy Canes in a Beard
Joel Strasser knows how to get into the Christmas spirit. Forget decking the halls or hanging ornaments on a tree. Instead, it’s all about creating festive facial hair.
Strasser fit 187 candy canes in his beard in 2023. He reportedly then gave them to his kids to eat. Don’t worry; they were still wrapped.
2: Most Grapes Eaten With Feet
Most of us eat grapes with our hands, but Kaif ali Khan has a special skill. He’s uniquely talented at using his feet to pick up and place grapes in his mouth.
In 2018, he consumed 65 grapes in three minutes using only his toes as utensils. According to Guinness World Records, Kaif was confident he’d be able to accomplish this bizarre feat and had no issues during his attempt.
3: Longest Marathon on a Swing
Swinging is fun for grownups and kids alike, but most people don’t spend more than a few minutes enjoying this classic piece of playground equipment. Richard Scott isn’t like most people.
The British dad spent 36 hours and 32 minutes on a swing set to break the marathon swing record. According to Guinness World Record reports, he also met his now-girlfriend while he was making his record-setting attempt.
4: Farthest Throw of a Washing Machine
Single-handedly lifting up a washing machine is a feat in itself. But throwing a washing machine isn’t within the realm of possibility for humans of average strength. However, Johan Espenkrona is far from average.
Espenkrona is a powerlifter who enjoys lifting and throwing household appliances. In 2022, Espenkrona threw a standard washing machine 14 feet 7 inches, setting the world record.
5: Heaviest Train Pulled With a Beard
According to a Wired Magazine article, beards are biologically useless. While that may be scientifically true, humans seem to have found a number of ways to put facial hair to work.
One of the most impressive and absurd is pulling heavy objects. For example, in 2001, Ismael Rivas Falcon attached a 6,069 lb train to his whiskers and pulled it for 32.8 feet.
6: Most World Snail Racing Wins
We have to admit we didn’t know snail racing was a thing until we came across this Guinness World Record. It turns out it’s a full-blown sport, complete with annual world championship competitions.
Thomas Vincent earned the record for snail racing in 2000 at only ten years old while racing his snail, Eddie Irvine. He went on to set a record for most snails on a face (he had seven on his face for a slimy ten seconds). That record was later broken by another brave soul who managed to fit 43 shelled gastropods on his face.
7: Longest Time Cycling Backwards
A 209.7-mile bike ride is longer than many of us would be willing to go. Doing it backward is unthinkable.
Yet, Andrew Hellinga from Australia did just that. He managed the feat in 2013 at the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Queensland.
8: Tallest Stack of Hats Worn at Once
Sometimes, people break records for fun. Other times, they do it to raise awareness of important causes. Anthony Kelly belongs in the second category.
In 2022, he wore a 3-foot, 6-inch stack of hats to help raise awareness of skin cancer. Anthony had portions of his scalp removed while suffering from the disease and said wearing hats was particularly important during his treatment. While he was at it, he broke the Guinness World Record for the tallest stack of hats worn at once.
9: Fastest 20-Meter Run While Wearing Flippers
Running fast in athletic shoes is easy. But running in scuba diving flippers? Now that’s a challenge!
In 2000, Christophe Bertaux set the record for the fastest flipper run. He managed to go 20 meters (about 65.6 feet) in 3.5 seconds.
10: Most Toilet Seats Broken by Someone’s Head
Have you ever had the urge to break a toilet seat with your head? Yeah, we haven’t, either. But apparently, Kevin Shelley did.
Shelley broke 46 toilet seats in one minute to get into the Guinness World Record book. He managed the feat in 2007 in Cologne, Germany.
11: Heaviest Weight Lifted By a Tongue
Many people believe the tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body. According to Healthline, that’s not entirely true.
In some ways, that makes Thomas Blackthorne’s tongue-lifting record even more impressive. He managed to lift 28 pounds and 10 ounces in 2022.
12: Longest Full-Body Contact With Ice
Scientists have shown cold exposure has many health benefits. From better insulin sensitivity to reduced adipose tissue, there are a number of reasons people choose to jump in frigid waters or attempt a cold plunge.
However, few have tried to lay on ice for hours at a time; typically, cold plunges last a few minutes at most. Lukasz Szpunar took things much further when he made full-body contact with frozen water for over four hours in 2023.
13: Most Watermelons Chopped on a Stomach
Few people think of using their stomachs as cutting boards. Suresh P and Master Prabhakar Reddy P of India are among the minority.
In June 2020, Master Prabhakar Reddy P chopped through 64 watermelons in one minute. He cut all of the fruits on Suresh P’s stomach.
14: Most T-Shirts Removed While Heading a Soccer Ball
Honestly, getting a shirt on and off is sometimes a challenge in itself. We can’t imagine doing it while heading a soccer ball. Yet, more than one person has done it.
Two different people managed to keep a ball in constant motion using only their heads while changing their shirts 25 times. Their names are Dariusz Kołodziejczyk and Agim Agushi.
15: Most Steps Walked by a Dog Balancing a Glass of Water Backward
Dogs aren’t always known for their poise and grace, but maybe they should be. Sweet Pea, an Australian Shepard/Border Collie, is certainly more graceful than most other animals.
In 2008, she made it ten full steps with a full, five-ounce glass of water balanced on her back. Even more impressive, she was walking backward!
16: Loudest Cat Purr
Bella is a cat that wants to be heard. According to her owner, Nicole Spink, she can purr louder than the TV.
In 2023, her purr measured 54.59 decibels. That’s about the same volume as a kettle boiling or a washing machine running.
17: Longest Distance Pulled by Horse or Vehicle While in Flames
You’re not reading that headline wrong; this world record really involved being completely engulfed in flames. Believe it or not, no one was harmed when it was achieved in 2017.
Stuntman Josef Tödtling from Austria allowed himself to be dragged by a horse for 1,640 feet while he was completely engulfed in flames. He then repeated the stunt while chained to a quad bike. Tödtling wore several layers of clothing, cooling gel, and metal pads to protect himself from harm.
14 Hygiene Habits Abroad Americans View as Unhygienic
What Americans see as hygienic doesn’t always hold true in the rest of the world. From using a twig as a toothbrush to washing one’s hands in ash, these are some of the things non-Americans do that we see as unhygienic.
14 Hygiene Habits Abroad Americans View as Unhygienic
15 Final Jeopardy! Questions That All Contestants Got Wrong
Over the years, the Final Jeopardy! round has stumped many contestants. These are some of the Final Jeopardy questions that none of the contestants got right. See how many leave you guessing, “What is…hmm?”
15 Final “Jeopardy!” Questions That All Contestants Got Wrong
