--- title: Guinness World Records 60th Anniversary Weirdest Records description: Guinness World Records celebrates its 60th anniversary and its new book comes out September 10. Here are the weirdest records. canonical: https://time.com/4013095/guinness-world-records-60th-anniversary-weirdest/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-27T17:01:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:01.158Z og:title: 18 Weird World Records og:description: Guinness World Records celebrates its 60th anniversary and its new book comes out September 10. Here are the weirdest records. og:url: https://time.com/4013095/guinness-world-records-60th-anniversary-weirdest/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ff632a09255bbed/6988612fcd1bba7a4e6fce9e/heaviest-onion-world-record.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3194 og:image:height: 1797 og:image:alt: heaviest-onion-world-record og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 18 Weird World Records twitter:description: Guinness World Records celebrates its 60th anniversary and its new book comes out September 10. Here are the weirdest records. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ff632a09255bbed/6988612fcd1bba7a4e6fce9e/heaviest-onion-world-record.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 17 of the Strangest Guinness World Records of All Time > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fed37b3e-f410-413c-99aa-5062e20beb07&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 5 Elements of A Viral Video [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Elements of A Viral Video](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vgQtqA8c.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2015-06-22. 5 Elements of A Viral Video_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Aug 27, 2015 5:01 PM UTC  Grower Pete Glazebrook poses for photographers with his onion weighing 17lb 15.5oz at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in Harrogate, northern England September 16, 2011. Grower Pete Glazebrook poses for photographers with his onion weighing 17lb 15.5oz at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in Harrogate, northern England September 16, 2011. Nigel Roddis—Reuters  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Aug 27, 2015 5:01 PM UTC After decades in the business, Guinness World Records knows weird. The organization, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary Thursday, has made its name designating some of the oddest and most bizarre records possible. Out of the approximately 50,000 applications it receives annually from 174 countries, 6,000 get approved. Though its annual compilation of current records comes out Sept. 10, TIME takes a look back at some of the most unusual world records that have been achieved [throughout the years](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/60/records-over-the-years.html). 1978: Wrestlers Billy and Benny McCrary are dubbed the **world’s heaviest twins** at 743 pounds and 723 pounds, respectively. 1988: Blackie becomes the **wealthiest cat** when its owner dies and leaves it $12.5 million. 1992: Bryan Berg set the record for the **largest house of cards** at 75 storeys in Spirit Lake, Iowa. 1994: Daniel Bent set the record for **fastest ever time in the bog-snorkeling triathlon** in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 24 seconds at the World Bog Snorkeling Championships. 1998: Suresh Joachim of Sri Lanka takes the **longest escalator ride,** which was 140 miles long, at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Burwood, New South Wales, Australia. 1999: Gary Bashaw, Jr., set the record for **most milkshake dispensed through the nose** when 1.82 oz. of milk and chocolate powder came out of his nose on the set of a Guinness World Records TV program in Los Angeles, California. 2000: Ann Atkins set the record for the **largest collection of garden gnomes** with 2,010. 2001: Smudge, a parrot, set a record for **most keys removed from a keyring by a parrot** by slipping off 10 in under two minutes. In 2009, he got all the way up to 22. 2004: Chad Fell blew the **largest bubblegum bubble** at 20 in. at the Double Springs High School in Winston County, Alabama. 2008: Kevin Shelley set the record for **most toilet seats broken by one’s head in one minute** by shattering 46 in Cologne, Germany. 2009: Melvin Boothe had the **longest finger nails on a pair of male hands ever** at 32 ft. 3.8 inches when they were measured in Troy, Michigan. 2011: Pete Glazebrook shows off **the world’s heaviest onion**, weighing 17 pounds, 15.5 ounces at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in Harrogate, northern England. 2012: Val Kolpakov of Alpharetta, Georgia, has been recognized for the **largest collection of toothpaste tubes** at 2,037. 2013: Hip-hop artist Big Freedia set a record for **most people twerking simultaneously** when she led 358 dancers for two minutes straight in New York City’s Times Square. 2014: Ranmaru, an Australian Labradoodle, boasts the **longest eyelashes on a dog** at 6.69 in. 2015: 12,975 dancers set a record for the **world’s largest Zumba class** in Mandaluyong, a city just outside the Philippine capital, Manila. Date N/A: Micronecta scholtz, a type of aquatic freshwater insect, has been recognized for having the **loudest penis** at 99.2 decibels, described as “equivalent to sitting in the front row listening to a loud orchestra playing.” ## Transcript [ NOISE ] What makes a video go viral? Here's our guess. Mishka, I love you. [ NOISE ] Number one, cute animals. [ LAUGH ] Charlie, Charlie bit me. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ] [ MUSIC ] [ UNKNOWN ], we're going to Disneyland. Oh, my god. Number two, cute kids. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] Number 3, remixes. [ MUSIC ] Whoa, oh my God, oh my God. [ LAUGH ] Oh my God. Whoo. Number four, spontaneity. Look at all those Number five. Cute kids and cute animals. Put this all together and it will certainly end up on your Facebook feed. 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