Outrageous Guinness World Records

The Guinness Book of World Records has been recording the weirdest, wackiest, and wildest accomplishments since the 1950s, not to glorify overachievers, but instead to be the ultimate guide to clarify the answers to trivia questions. Since then, though, it has influenced people to try harder, jump farther, sleep longer, and do any number of peculiar things.

All records that are found in the book need to be verified with witnesses and, more recently, recordings of the events. As a result, people know what challenges there are in attempting to break those records and people continue to make an effort or point out the unusual in terms of extremes.

One of the hardest Guinness World Records that people tend to attempt is to hold the plank position for the longest. In 2020, former Marine George Hood, age 62, set the record for the longest time for a plank with one that lasted eight hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds. This was four years after Mao Weidong, age 45, planked for eight hours, one minute, and one second. While Hood still holds the record for America, he is no longer the top athlete in planking. On August 6, 2021, Australian Daniel Scali planked for nine hours, 30 minutes, and one second, breaking the record. In 2018, Hood held a plank for 10 hours and 10 minutes to raise mental awareness. This impressive feat was not verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

A very unusual record set in 2011 was the most rubber duckies collected by a person, and that person was Charlotte Lee. She had over 9,000 of the creatures as of 2019. She has been collecting the toys since 1996 and even has her own special room just for her rubber duckies.

Many people have wondered whether record holders get paid. The answer is no, they do not get paid. They are only record holders, and the Guinness World Record organization is there to help display their talents, not to pay them for holding the title.