Kids are often fascinated by world record holders and what they did to set their record. Today, long after The Guinness Book of World Records came about in 1951 after an argument about the fastest bird, teachers and students alike are still fascinated by world records.

Here are over 60 facts to impress and amaze your students!

Fun Facts About World Records Infographic, including 10 facts from the article.
  1. The heaviest whale ever caught weighed 418,878 pounds and was 90 feet, 6 inches long.
  2. The longest fingernail was over 6 feet long.
  3. Named Humphrey, the world’s shortest bull was only 26.6 inches tall, which is just over 2 feet.
  4. The world’s tallest man was 8 feet 3 inches tall.
  5. The world’s shortest adult woman was 24.7 inches (about 2 feet) tall.
  6. The most hula hoops spun at one time was 200.
  7. The largest number ever counted to was 1,000,000. It took about 3 months.
  8. Samuel Jackson is the highest grossing actor ever, making over $14.6 billion.
  9. The loudest female burp was 107 decibels, which is as loud as a jackhammer.
  10. The world’s largest pizza had an area of 13,957 square feet.
  11. Ew! The world’s longest kiss lasted for over 58 hours.
  12. In January 1943, the temperature in Spearfish, South Dakota rose from -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 45 degrees Fahrenheit in just 2 minutes.
  13. At 4,160 miles long, the Nile River holds the record for being the longest river in the world.
  14. The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 2,716 feet 6 inches tall.
  15. The longest reigning monarch was King Louis XIV who ruled for 72 years and 110 days.
  16. “Baby Shark Dance” was the first video on YouTube to reach 10 billion views.
  17. The hardest tongue twister is “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.” Say that 10 times fast!
  18. The highest fall survived without a parachute is 18,000 feet.
  19. The longest time anyone has successfully surfed a single wave is about 37 minutes.
  20. The record for the most points scored in an NBA game by one player was 100 points, set by Wilt Chamberlain.
  21. The highest recorded temperature on Earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley, California.
  22. The largest rubber band ball ever made weighed nearly 5000 pounds.
  23. The longest anyone held their breath under water was just over 24 minutes.
  24. The fastest anyone has ever run a marathon was 2 hours, 1 minute, and 39 seconds.
  25. The fastest anyone ever rode a bicycle was 183.93 miles per hour.
  26. Joey Chestnut ate 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
  27. Jeanne Calment lived for a record-setting 122 years and 164 days.
  28. The oldest known living land animal is Jonathan, a tortoise that, as of 2025, is 192 years old.
  29. A Volvo has the record for greatest total distance driven at 3,039,122 miles.
  30. At 451 days, Belgium has the record for the longest amount of time without a government.
  31. The longest running sitcom is a British show called “Last of the Summer Wine,” which ran for 37 years.
  32. Walt Disney has 59 Oscar nominations, the greatest anyone has received so far.
  33. “Old Town Road,” a song by Lil Nas X holds the record for most consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard charts. It stayed there for 19 weeks.
  34. Star Wars is the highest grossing movie series of all time. It has grossed over $10.3 billion.
  35. The fastest anyone has ever solved a Rubik’s cube was 3.13 seconds.
  36. The world’s tallest sandcastle measured 54 feet 9 inches tall.
  37. The most socks worn on one foot was almost 350 socks.
  38.  The largest burger ever made clocked in at 2,014 pounds.
  39. The biggest choir in the world includes 29,000 members.
  40. The oldest person to climb Mt. Everest was 76 years old.
  41. The oldest person to graduate from college was 95 years old.
  42. Russian cosmonaut Gennady Pedalka has spent the most time in space – 878.48 days!
  43. The tallest mohawk ever recorded was 44.68 inches tall.
  44. The world record for longest eyelashes is 4.88 inches.
  45. The most balloons anyone has blown up in one hour is 910.
  46. Hercules, a liger, is the largest living cat. He weighs 922 pounds and is 131 inches long.
  47. Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world with a 3,212-foot drop.
  48. One kind of bamboo can grow up to 35 inches a day.
  49. The longest snake ever kept in captivity is 25 feet 2 inches long.
  50. The longest a person has held the plank position is 9 hours and 38 minutes.
  51. The oldest pig in captivity lived for 23 years and 221 days.
  52. The longest wedding dress train was 26,559 feet and 8 inches long.
  53. The most expensive glove ever sold at auction belonged to Michael Jackson and sold for $420,000.
  54. The largest feet on any living person are a left foot that is 1 foot, 3.93 inches long and a right foot that is 1 foot, 3.96 inches long.
  55. The heaviest carrot ever grown was 22.44 pounds.
  56. The longest noodle ever made measured 10,119 feet and 1.92 inches long.
  57. The most Big Macs anyone has eaten in their lifetime is 35,000.
  58. The largest gathering of people dressed as Superman is 867 people.
  59. The International Space Station is the most expensive man-made object in history. It cost $100 billion to build.
  60. The world’s longest arm hair is 7.24 inches long.
  61. The widest tongue in the world is 3.11 inches wide.
  62. The heaviest spider in the world is a goliath bird-eater that weighs 6.1 ounces.
  63. The tallest dog ever is a Great Dane who measured 43 inches tall.
  64. The tallest horse is 82.75 inches tall.
  65. The largest margarine sculpture weighs 3321.925 pounds.
  66. The most expensive painting ever sold at a public auction was painted by Leonardo DaVinci and sold for $450,312,500.
  67. With 25 total, Alex Rodriguez holds the record for most career grand slam home runs.

These are just a small sample of the world records out there! Challenge your students to see what other records they can learn about.

Also check out these fun facts:

67 Crazy World Records to Share with Your Students