A few months ago, the world's shortest man, He Pingping, age 21, died
after developing chest pains while filming a television show in Italy.
Pingping suffered from primordial dwarfism, a condition which kept him
from ever growing taller than 73 cm (2 feet 5 inches) tall. Pingping was
recognized by the Guinness World Records organization, who also held a
"World Records Day" last November, encouraging people all over the
world to set their own records. Collected here are a group of superlatives,
recent photos of world records and record attempts around the world.
He Pingping of China smiles as Sultan Kosen of Turkey rests his hands on
He's shoulders during a promotional event in Istanbul, Turkey on January
14, 2010. He, with a height of 73 cm (2 feet 5 inch), and Kosen, with a
height of 246.5 cm (8 feet 1 inch), have been listed in the Guinness World
Records as the world's shortest man and tallest man respectively.
He Pingping, 73 cm tall (2 feet 5 inch), of China looks up at Sultan Kosen,
246.5 cm tall (8 feet 1 inch), of Turkey in Istanbul on January 14, 2010.
Joel Waul, 27, stands on top of his rubber band ball on the driveway of his
home in Lauderhill, Fla., Friday, Oct. 23, 2009. Waul, a 27-year-old who
works nights restocking a Gap clothing store, has spent the last six years
carefully wrapping and linking and stretching rubber bands of various
sizes into the ball shape. The Guinness Book of World Records declared it
the world's largest rubber band ball in 2008.
In this photo taken Aug. 21, 2009, Diana Taylor walks with her Great
Dane, Titan, along Ocean Beach in San Diego. During a ceremony
Thursday Nov. 12, 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records officially
proclaimed that 4-year-old Titan from San Diego is the world's tallest dog.
Owner Diana Taylor says Titan is blind, deaf, epileptic and undergoes
acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments every three weeks. Taylor says
Titan stands 42.25 inches from floor to shoulder, weighs 190 pounds.
Bakers link pieces of gingerbread in order to break a world record on
December 18, 2009 in Ludwigsburg, southern Germany. A total of 1,700
kg of honey, 1,700 kg of flour, 1,000 kg of walnuts, 900 kg of hazelnuts,
550 liters of milk and 158 liters of cherry schnapps were used to make the
one kilometer-long and seven-ton-heavy gingerbread.
A base jumper leaps backwards off the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower,
Malaysia, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. A group of base jumpers were
attempting to set a Guinness World Record striving to have 24 people
base jump every hour for 24 hours from the the 915 feet high
communication tower
Physical challenged people participate in purportedly the world's largest
finger painting, a 100 feet by 140 feet canvas, to mark International Day
of Persons with Disabilities in Ahmadabad, India, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009.
More than 200 physically challenged people participated in the event for a
bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.
Street performer Chayne Hultgren (a.k.a. 'The Space Cowboy'), re-enacts
his 18-sword swallowing attempt for a Guinness World Record in front of
the Sydney Opera House on February 8, 2010. The Australian beat his
own world record when he simultaneously swallowed 18 swords, each
blade measuring 50.8cm by 1.3cm, in the lead-up to International Sword
Swallowing Day on February 28.
Lisa Courtney's lies amongst her collection - the Biggest Pokemon
Memorabilia Collection in the world with 12,113 items, accordding to the
Guinness Book of World Records.
Children scoop marshmallows out of a mug holding nearly 500 gallons of
hot chocolate, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 at Bryant Park in New York,
during the American Dairy Association's attempt to set a new world record
for the largest mug of hot chocolate.
Indian born British strongman Manjit Singh, 59, pulls a double decker bus
using ropes attached to his hair in London, England on November 12,
2009. Singh broke the world record Thursday by pulling the bus a total of
21.2 metres.
Filipino chefs and students stand beside dishes as they attempt to break a
Guinness World Record for "The Most Number of Dishes On Display, In A
Single Day" in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on
Monday Dec. 14, 2009. The organizers hope to be considered for the
record as they make more than 5,000 cheese-inspired dishes to beat the
previous record of 4,668 set by India in 2007.
Chinese 104-year-old twins, Cao Daqiao (senior, right) and Cao Xiaoqiao
talk at home in Weifang, east China's Shandong province on November
29, 2009. According to the Shanghai Guinness World Records, these twin
sisters, who were born in 1905, are the oldest living twins in the world as
they are also listed on the Guiness World of Records for the oldest twins.
Bryan Berg of the U.S. poses at his creation of the replica of The Venetian
Macao-Resort-Hotel, as he breaks his own Guinness World Record for the
largest house of Freestanding playing cards on Wednesday, March 10,
2010. Berg used 218,792 playing cards to build a replica of The Venetian
Macao-Resort-Hotel during the 44 day project. The final composition is 35
feet long, 10 feet tall and weighs 272kg.
An Israeli school boy plays in a large Jerusalem flag as it is unfurled at
Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009. The flag was
stamped by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest flag on
April 11, 2009 and measures 44,404 square meters.
