The first slim, green volume of The Guinness Book of Records was published in Great Britain on 27 August 1955 and topped the UK best-seller list by Christmas that year. The following year it was launched internationally, and as of 2022, it is in its 67th year and is published in 100 countries and 23 languages, and includes over 53,000 records in its database.
Published annually, this reference book lists world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter agreed to begin work on the book after an interview in 1954 in which he enjoyed testing the twins’ knowledge of records and strange facts.
Now known as the Guinness World Records, the international franchise has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. The popularity of the franchise has resulted in Guinness World Records becoming the primary international authority on the cataloging and verification of a huge number of world records. The organisation employs record adjudicators to verify the authenticity of the setting and breaking of records.