Think you are well informed? Have the capitals of all countries on the tip of your tongue? Can read the Bible end to end without pausing for breath? Know 36 languages and can sing in 10 different ones?
Well, see if you can guess the answers to these.
Who is the largest employer in the world? The highest paid actress in Hollywood? The most syndicated living cartoonist?
If you do know the answers, you should probably be on one of those quiz shows offering a lot of prize money. But, if you're stumped, go visit the Guinness Book of World Records for help.
It tells you that the world's largest commercial or utility employer is the Indian Railways, with 1,583,614 regular employees in March, 1997. And that Julia Roberts commanded a fee of $20,000,000 for her lead role in Erin Brockovich (US 2000). And that Johnny Hart, creator of The Wizard Of Id and B.C., is the most syndicated living cartoonist, with both these cartoons syndicated in 1,300 newspapers each, giving his work a combined total of 2,600 syndicated outlets.
If you're curious by nature, you're probably wondering how it all started.
Did someone wake up one morning, get hit on the head, swallow 103 eggs and report himself to the local newspaper so that they could report his feat? And what about the guy who balanced a car on his head? Imagine him practicing in his driveway daily, assuring his wife that he wouldn't drop it on her toes.
Sometimes I wonder what drives people to attempt these records. Is it fame, recognition or the fact that they have done something no one else in the world has been able to achieve? Even if it means doing something as strange as collecting 1,125 Barbie dolls, balancing a milk bottle over 130.3 kms or swallowing a couple of swords.
According to the site, this is how it all began.
In 1759, Arthur Guinness set up the Guinness Brewery at St James' Gate in Dublin, Ireland. By the 1930s, Guinness' special porter stout was available in every public house in Britain, and the brewery was always on the look-out for good promotional ideas that would increase the popularity of Guinness in the public. One of these ideas came about when Sir Hugh Beaver, then the Managing Director, went on a shooting party in 1951. He became involved in an argument about which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the grouse, and then realised that a book published by Guinness supplied answers to this sort of question and might prove to be popular.
Sir Hugh's idea became reality when the McWhirter twins, Norris and Ross, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London, were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of Records, the first edition of which was published in 1955.
Since then, the Guinness World RecordsTM has become a household name and the book has sold over 80 million copies in 77 different countries and 38 different languages. It has also prompted successful television shows around the world, and the launch of the website in the year 2000.
The site has a number of categories and a search based on keywords, making it easy to locate specific records. 'Today's Wow' highlights a world record that has been broken recently, and uses Flash and visuals to get the story across. Other sections include Send an 'E-card' and 'Screensaver' favourites.
So are there any records left to break? Yes.
The Editor has picked up a few and is currently looking for takers. These could be contenders for the largest daisy chain, fasted aluminium can-chain and fastest pantomime horse in the world!
So the next time you need a dose of inspiration, or just way of spending time while at work, log in. Who knows, you might break a record yourself.
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