Guinness World Records is 70! Find out how to Be Part of It as we mark milestone year

Guinness World Records is 70!

We’ve spent the last seven decades chronicling the world’s most extraordinary humans, impressive feats, incredible animals, and basically any other superlative you can think of.

Not bad for a book that was started to settle pub arguments, eh?

Yeah, that’s really how it all began.

In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of the Guinness Brewery at the time, got into a debate with his mates about which of Europe’s game birds was the fastest.

Realizing there was no book to tell him the answer, he came up with the idea of publishing a book full of facts and figures that people could turn to when they too had questions like this.

There was no such thing as Google back then, of course, and so the Guinness Book of Records (as it was called at the time) was born a few years later, releasing its first ever edition on 27 August 1955, our official birthday.

Fast forward 70 years, and we’re still at it.

Whether you want to know what the hottest pepper is, who can run 100 m the fastest, or what the world’s tallest building is, we’ve got you covered.

We love nothing more than celebrating all the things that make us special and unique – and we’ve got no plans to stop!

Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday said: "I've been working at GWR across three different decades, and looking back, it's incredible to think how much - and how quickly - the world has changed in the past 20-odd years.

"Viewing the world through the lens of the superlative gives everyone at GWR a unique perspective, and I'm really grateful for the chance to meet so many inspiring people and curate their most amazing achievements. And the future is sure to be as thrilling, so I can't wait to see what's coming next!"

Be Part of It

Ever fancied seeing yourself  within the pages of our book, on our website or featured in one of our social media posts?

Then you should Be Part of It with our special anniversary campaign - one that looks back at our history and, more importantly, looks forward to the future of record breaking.  

GWR70: Be Part of It isn't really about Guinness World Records… it’s about people like you - ordinary people who, as well as leading busy and full lives, have set themselves a goal, however big or small, and are working towards achieving it.

We're hoping to reach more future record breakers than ever before, so they too can experience the joy and excitement of attempting and participating in a record-breaking challenge, and maybe even the elation of one day becoming a Guinness World Records title holder. When it comes to record breaking, nothing beats taking part.

Find out more about our 70^th anniversary and how you can Be Part of It here.