In 1954 Sir Hugh Beaver (1890—1967), Managing Director of the Guinness Brewery, attended a shooting party in County Wexford.
There, he and his hosts argued about the fastest game bird in Europe, and failed to find an answer in any reference book.
In August 1954, recalling his shooting party argument, Sir Hugh had the idea for a Guinness promotion based on the idea of settling pub arguments and invited the famous twins Norris (1925—2004) and Ross McWhirter (1925—75) who were fact-finding researchers from Fleet Street to compile a book of facts and figures.
Guinness Superlatives was incorporated on 30th November 1954 and the office opened in two rooms in a converted gymnasium on the top floor of Ludgate House, 107 Fleet Street.
After an initial research phase, work began on writing the book, which took 13 and a half 90-hour weeks, including weekends and bank holidays.
Little did the McWhirters know that taking shape was a book that would go on to become an all-time best seller and one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the world.
Over 60 years on, and the trusted Guinness World Records brand is a beloved household name.
The book continues to be a best-seller each year, enjoyed through the generations.
The Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is now a reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world.
After the founding of The Guinness Book of Records office at 107 Fleet Street, London, the first 198-page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best seller lists by Christmas.
The following year, it launched in the United States (US), and sold 70,000 copies. Since then, Guinness World Records has sold more than 100 million copies in 100 countries and 37 languages.
Because the book became a surprise hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in September/October, in time for Christmas.
The McWhirters continued to compile it for many years. Both brothers had an encyclopedic memory; on the TV series Record Breakers, based upon the book, they would take questions posed by children in the audience on various world records and were able to give the correct answer.
Ross McWhirter was assassinated by two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1975 for offering a £50,000 reward for their capture.
How Did This Happen?
On 27 November 1975 at 6.45 p.m., McWhirter was shot and killed by two IRA volunteers, Harry Duggan and Hugh Doherty, both of whom were members of what became known as the Balcombe Street Gang, the group for whose capture McWhirter had offered the reward.
McWhirter was shot at close range in the head and chest with a .357 Magnum revolver outside his home in Village Road, Bush Hill Park.
He was taken to Chase Farm Hospital, but died soon after being admitted at age 50.
Duggan and Doherty were apprehended following the Balcombe Street siege and charged with murdering McWhirter, in addition to nine other victims.
They were sentenced to life imprisonment, but released in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Following Ross’s assassination, the feature in the show where questions about records posed by children were answered was called Norris on the Spot.
His brother Norris McWhirter died from a heart attack at his home in Kington Langley, Wiltshire, on 19 April 2004, aged 78.
Guinness Superlatives, later Guinness World Records Limited, was formed in 1954 to publish their first book.
Sterling Publishing owned the rights to the Guinness book in the US for decades.
The group was owned by Guinness PLC and subsequently Diageo until 2001, when it was purchased by Gullane Entertainment for $65 million.
Gullane was itself purchased by HIT Entertainment in 2002.
In 2006, Apax Partners purchased HIT and subsequently sold Guinness World Records in early 2008 to the Jim Pattison Group, the parent company of Ripley Entertainment, which is licensed to operate Guinness World Records’ Attractions.
Each edition contains a selection of the records from the Guinness World Records database, as well as select new records, with the criteria for inclusion changing from year to year.
The retirement of Norris McWhirter from his consulting role in 1995 and the subsequent decision by Diageo Plc to sell The Guinness Book of Records brand have shifted the focus of the books from text-oriented to illustrated reference.
A selection of records are curated for the book from the full archive but all existing Guinness World Records titles can be accessed by creating a login on the company’s website.
Applications made by individuals for existing record categories are free of charge.
There is an administration fee of $5 to propose a new record title.
In 2005, Guinness designated 9 November as International Guinness World Records Day to encourage breaking of world records.
In 2006, an estimated 100,000 people participated in over 10 countries.
Guinness reported 2,244 new records in 12 months, which was a 173% increase over the previous year.
In February 2008, NBC aired The Top 100 Guinness World Records of All Time and Guinness World Records made the complete list available on their website.
