The World's Biggest, Fastest and Most Extraordinary Revealed in New Guinness World Records® 2012

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's the BIGGEST day of the year with the release of Guinness World Records 2012!  The newest record chronicling edition of the best-selling book is chock full of quite literally the biggest stories of the year covering everything in the world of superlatives and bubbling over with more than 4,000 new and updated records and over 900 colorful photographs!

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110915/NY68935-a )

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110915/NY68935-b )

This year's edition includes the most amazing record breaking human bodies from around the planet, and celebrates beauty from every end of the spectrum. For the first time in over a decade, Guinness World Records reveals a brand new record holder for one of its most iconic record feats – "Longest Fingernails."  Las Vegas-based singer "The Dutchess," is the newest creative keratin curator to take her place amongst other record-holders with nails that measure over 19 feet combined! Moving from tips to top of the head, Aevin Dugas boasts the "Largest Afro" ever recorded registering a circumference over 4 feet!  Rolf Buchholz has put a different spin on the term 'holy man' – the world's "Most Pierced Man," has over 453 piercings!

Incredible vehicles, plenty of pets, and colossal collections are also featured in Guinness World Records 2012.  Just consider the 'Best Man', where couples can say their vows at 62 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the Uchida Geinousha's 'Super Wan Wan Circus' has managed to train 13 canines to jump rope, the "Most Dogs Skipping on a Rope". If inanimate pets are more your speed, take a look at Birgit Berends, who has collected 11,062 different penguins since 1990.  

"We pulled out all the stops in this year's edition of the book. From the world's most dangerous records to extreme pioneers and apocalyptic predictions or beyond, we focused on mankind's outliers to show the amazing array of superlatives the world has created," said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief. "Of course, the 2012 edition also contains all of the classic content readers have come to expect from our books, as well as radical records stemming from cutting-edge creators in the fields of social media, fashion and alternative energies."

Guinness World Records 2012 is available in the U.S. on September 15th for the suggested retail price of $28.95. Look out for the 2012 eBook version to launch in November.  For more information about Guinness World Records 2012 or to find out how you can participate in Guinness World Records Day 2011, visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com and Facebook.

Notes to Editor -

Additional records in Guinness World Records 2012 include:

Longest domestic cat

At 123 cm (48.5 in) long, Mymains Stewart Gilligan (aka Stewie) is the world's longest domestic cat. The five-year-old feline is owned by Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness (USA) and was measured on 28 August 2010. He also has the longest domestic cat tail at 41.5 cm (16.34 in).

Largest violin

The largest violin is 4.27 m (14 ft) long, has a maximum width of 1.4 m (4.5 ft) and a bow with a length of 5.2 m (17 ft).  It was made by the Vogtland masters of violin and bow making (Germany) in Markneukirchen, Germany, and completed on 14 June 2010.

Longest tongue (female)

The longest tongue measures 9.8 cm (3.86 in) from the tip to the middle of his closed top lip and was achieved by Stephen Taylor (United Kingdom), at Westwood Medical Centre, Coventry, United Kingdom, on 11 February 2009.

Longest moustache

The longest moustache measures 4.29 m (14 ft) and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan (India). It was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010.

Largest collection of cows

Denise Tubangui (USA) had a collection of 2,429 cow-related items by March 2011. Denise started collecting in 1990, when she saw a cow figurine in her mother's kitchen. Her favourite item is the life-sized calf that her neighbours gave her as a present.

Youngest person to fly solo around the world

Barrington Irving (Jamaica/USA, b. 11 November 1983), an aerospace student at Florida Memorial University, circumnavigated the globe in Inspiration, manufactured and assembled by the Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Company, between 23 March and 27 June 2007. His landmark 97-day flight was also the first ever solo circumnavigation flight by a black pilot.  

Youngest person to climb the Seven Summits including Carstensz (female)

The youngest person to climb the seven summits (including Carstensz) is Samantha Larson (USA, b. 7 October 1988) who reached the seventh peak, Carstensz Pyramid, on 4 August 2007 aged 18 years 301 days.        

About Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records <http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/> (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records™ book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. The internationally renowned brand is now also available across a number of platforms – GWR's global television shows are watched by 250 million viewers annually; digital media and online record-processing services attract more than 50 million visitors a year; and the live events team annually entertains and inspires 1.5 million people around the world. GWR receives more than 1,000 applications each week and has a specialized team of multi-language record managers and adjudicators who travel the globe to verify official record attempts. GWR also has a commercial division (Guinness World Records Corporate <http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/> ) that offers accessible record-breaking business solutions to other organizations and brands.

SOURCE Guinness World Records