Wow! World Records

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 21

1 2 Next >>

May 2009
- Canadian Plays World-Record Piano Solo
  
  AFP | May 18, 09 3:11 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Canadian musician and producer Gonzales set the world record for longest solo piano performance today, AFP reports, clocking in at 27 hours, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. The harrowing performance incorporated 300 musical pieces, from Britney Spears to Beethoven. Gonzales was allowed a 15-minute break between three-hour sets, and 30 seconds to rest between songs. More »
February 2009
- Top Nail Grower Loses Claim to Fame in Wreck
  
  Salt Lake Tribune | Feb 13, 09 5:30 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The holder of the Guinness World Record for longest fingernails lost her honor in a traffic accident, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Lee Redmond of Utah, who started growing the nails in 1979 and reached a total length of 28 feet and 4.5 inches, suffered the loss of her prized appendages when she was ejected from a car in which she was a passenger. She was hospitalized and is expected to be OK; her wounded pride is another matter. More »
October 2008
- Fla. Woman's Dreadlocks Are Mane Event
  
  Orlando Sentinel | Oct 23, 08 2:46 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - She may not threaten the mark for longest hair, but a Florida woman is banking that 8-feet, 9-inches will get her the world record for longest dreadlocks. Asha Mandela, 46, has nurtured “her baby” since shaving her head two decades ago, the Orlando Sentinel reports. “You don't believe it until you measure it, really,” said a man who witnessed the measuring, per Guinness World Records directive. More »
- At 22.3 Inches, Insect Is World's Longest
  
  Independent (UK) | Oct 17, 08 12:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A stick insect called Phobaeticus chani has claimed the distinction of world's longest insect, beating out its nearest competitor by an inch, the Independent reports. Named after the amateur naturalist who brought it to scientists' attention, the bug measures 22.3 inches with its legs outstretched. A treetop rainforest dweller, its tiny winged eggs glide from branch to branch. More »
September 2008
- Ethiopian Tops Own Marathon Record
  
  Associated Press | Sep 28, 08 2:58 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Haile Gebrselassie broke his own marathon world record on Sunday, becoming the first runner to finish in under 2 hours, 4 minutes, the AP reports. The Ethiopian clocked 2:03:59 to win his third straight Berlin Marathon, beating the mark of 2:04:26 he set last year over the same flat course. He also became the first runner to win the race three times. More »
- Stunt Could Leave Magician Blind, Doc Says
  
  Associated Press | Sep 22, 08 9:32 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - When David Blaine hangs upside-down above New York's Central Park for 60 hours next week, he'll run the risk of going blind, says a vascular surgeon advising the celebrity magician on the stunt. Lengthy inversion increases blood pressure in the head, especially in the eyes, which can result in blindness, Massimo Napolitano tells the Bergen Record . More »
August 2008
- Gaming Sets Hopes on Teenage 'Guitar Hero' Whiz
  
  New York Times | Aug 9, 08 2:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The video game industry is ready for its closeup, and a shy Minnesota teenager just might provide the face. Chris Chike, 17, is a wizard on "Guitar Hero" who has millions of online fans, a world title, a growing list of endorsements, and even a few marriage proposals, the New York Times notes. Industry leaders hope he can be gaming's version of skateboarder Tony Hawke, who took a fringe sport mainstream. More »
July 2008
- Twins Born to 70-Year-Old
  
  Sun (UK) | Jul 7, 08 9:16 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A 70-year-old Indian grandmother of five has become the world’s oldest mom after giving birth to twins, the Sun reports. Omkari Panwar and her husband, a retired farmer, mortgaged their land, sold off their buffaloes, and took out loans to finance IVF treatment so they could produce a male heir. More »
June 2008
- Gay Is Fastest Man, Ever*
  
  ESPN | Jun 30, 08 2:10 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Tyson Gay might have used the Olympic trials yesterday to cover 100 meters faster than any human in history, but he is not the world record-holder because track, unlike any other sport, attaches asterisks to records, Jim Caple writes on ESPN.com. Strong tailwinds propelled Gay to victory, but his breathtaking time of 9.68 seconds would have been 9.86 without the wind. More »
- Phelps, Hoff Smash Records in Omaha
  
  USA Today | Jun 30, 08 10:53 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Records fell at the Olympic trials in Omaha yesterday as both Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff triumphed in the 400 IM, USA Today reports. Each swimmer had a personal motivation: Phelps took almost a second of his own world record, and Hoff recaptured the record from Stephanie Rice. More »
- Amtrak Sees Boom in Riders as Fuel Costs Soar
  
  New York Times | Jun 21, 08 10:10 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - With fuel prices soaring, travelers are increasingly turning to Amtrak, which posted a record for passengers in May—not usually a big travel month, reports the New York Times . But the struggling rail service has shrunk so drastically since it was created in the '70s that it won't be able to respond to the passenger surge very quickly. “We’re starting to bump up against our own capacity constraints,” says an Amtrak rep. More »
- California Steaming: Heat Wave Goes On
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jun 20, 08 9:30 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Southern California is sweltering in a record-breaking heat wave that has killed at least one person, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 77-year-old woman died after wandering out of her car in 116-degree heat, and her husband is in critical condition. Forecasters warn the exceptionally high heat will continue through the weekend. As Californians cranked up the air-conditioning, energy use in Los Angeles was the highest ever recorded in June. More »
- Saudis to Boost Oil Output to Record Level
  
  New York Times | Jun 14, 08 6:14 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Saudi Arabia aims to put the brakes on oil prices by raising output to its highest ever, the New York Times reports. The kingdom resisted calls from President Bush earlier this year to boost production, but is now concerned that record oil prices could lead to lower demand in the long term by cutting economic growth and making alternative fuels more viable. More »
- Foreclosures Surge 48% in May
  
  Associated Press | Jun 13, 08 9:35 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - The number of US homeowners swept up in the housing crisis rose further last month, with foreclosure filings up 48% over a year earlier. Nationwide, 261,255 homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in May, up 7% from April and the second straight monthly record. That's one in every 483 US households, the highest number since the foreclosure listing company started the report in 2005. More »
- Record 2.3M Crowd US Prisons
  
  Washington Post | Jun 12, 08 5:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A record 7.2 million criminals were behind bars, on parole, or being supervised on probation in 2006—a figure that cost taxpayers $45 billion and has states rethinking sentencing laws and shipping inmates elsewhere, the Washington Post reports. Of that number, 2.3 million people were in jail or prison, the highest of any nation. More »
- 36MMM Implants Bust Record
  
  TMZ | Jun 6, 08 1:25 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Porn star Maxi Mounds' 36MMM breast implants are the largest in the world, TMZ reports. Guinness World Records created the category for Mounds and her 40-pound knockers, according to London's Metro. The ex-dancer—ballet and lap—had a procedure involving plastic string in 2000 that has since been banned in the US. More »
- Jamaican Sets World Record in 100 Meters
  
  New York Times | Jun 1, 08 5:38 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, a 200 meter specialist who only recently began running against elite competition at 100 meters, raced to a new world record of 9.72 seconds at the shorter distance last night in New York City's Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island. Cheered by a partisan crowd waving his nation's green and gold flag, Bolt beat reigning world champ Tyson Gay of the US out of the blocks and never let him get close. More »
May 2008
- Gal Pal Gangs Make History With Sex Debut
  
  Variety | May 31, 08 3:31 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - High heels and cosmos made box office history last night, as women dolled out $26.9 million for Sex and the City— the biggest romantic comedy opening day ever, Variety reports. For many, it was a long-awaited event. “You have to come see this with a mess of your friends,” one fan told the Los Angeles Times . “It's not about men, it's not about the outfits. It's about friendship.” More »
- Soldier Suicides Set Record
  
  Reuters | May 30, 08 3:51 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Army recorded it highest ever number of suicides last year, with 115 soldiers killing themselves, Reuters reports. The rate is staying high this year, with 38 soldier suicides so far. The military said the statistics showed no direct link between the increase in suicides and repeated deployments to combat zones—but admitted the stresses of war were taking their toll. More »
April 2008
- David Blaine Breaks Breath-Holding Record
  
  Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 12:11 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Blaine broke the world record for holding one’s breath today when he was submerged for 17 minutes and 4 seconds during a taping of Oprah. The endurance artist looked relaxed emerging from a water-filled sphere, the AP reports. Blaine had undergone simulated altitude training and pure oxygen treatment to prepare for the feat. The previous record was 16 minutes, 32 seconds. More »