While you’ve definitely heard of the Guinness Book of World Records, you might not know that this famous compilation of world records was created in the 1950s by, yes, the Guinness Brewing Company.
Because all great ideas start over a pint of stout, Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of the Guinness Brewery, conceived of the idea after he got into an argument at a party about the fastest bird-shooting game in Europe. Beaver originally thought a book of world records would not only be a great promotion for Guinness, but would help settle pub arguments before they got physical. Basically, it was an early version of googling.
Fast forward, and there are thousands of world records published in the Guinness Book of World Records — including many focused on extraordinary travel feats. Some are legitimately impressive, and even jaw-dropping, like the fastest time to travel to all seven continents and the longest journey completed barefoot. Others are more bizarre, like the longest birthday ever and the farthest distance skateboarded by a goat.
All, in their way, astound. Here are some of the most mind-blowing Guinness travel records of all time.
(Inspired? You can apply for your own Guinness travel record or attempt to unseat someone else’s achievement.)