Sir Hugh Beaver, once the managing director of Guinness Brewery, was the creator of the "Guinness Book of Records." Originally, Beaver wanted the reference book to be distributed to bars at no charge. The concept was that the book would serve as both a marketing tool for the Guinness Brewery as well as a fun way to settle bar debates. Two brothers, Norris and Ross McWhirter, were the fact-finding team behind the book's early editions.
The "Guinness Book of Records" was an immediate success and quickly became a prosperous venture, rather than a free book. It was also established as an annual reference for each year's current world records. As of today, it has sold more than 120 million copies and has been translated into dozens of languages. In 2000, the "Guinness Book of Records" became officially known as "Guinness World Records."
An individual or a group can set a Guinness World Record. However, there are three basic requirements that a record must meet in order to qualify. First, it must be measured in a verifiable way. In other words, it must be provable and can't be subjective, such as a record for the world's most handsome man. A Guinness World Record must also be breakable if it is a human achievement. This ensures the possibility that another person may set a new record in the future. The third requirement for a Guinness World Record is that it must be universal, in that anyone can attempt it. For example, a record can be set for the world's tallest man, not Africa's tallest man.
There are two ways to submit a record to the Guinness World Records. The first and quickest way is to hire a live, official adjudicator to verify the record as it happens. This will cost money, although the fee varies depending on the adjudicator's schedule and how far he has to travel. The second way to be recognized by the Guinness World Records is by registering a record through the company's official website. After the registration process is complete, evidence such as signed witness statements and photographs must be submitted that proves the record has been broken.
Although some people are naturally qualified for a Guinness World Record, such as the tallest man alive, others will go to extreme lengths to set a record. There are several reasons why a person might want to set a world record. For one, it feels good to be globally recognized for an achievement. Some individuals or businesses use publicity from the record for monetary gain. Setting a world record can also allow people to raise awareness and funds for a charitable cause.
Some Guinness World Record categories have been discontinued over the years due to health and safety reasons. Alcohol-related entries, for example, were banned in 1991. This was to discourage people from binge drinking to the point of illness or death to qualify for a record. World records related to animal weight were also discontinued, as some people were overfeeding or underfeeding animals in order to qualify. Neither are driving records that pertain to open, public roads allowed for safety reasons.