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Weird World Records

The longest, the smallest, the strangest: a collection of weird and amazing world records from around the world. Some are funny, some are hard to believe, and some you could try to break yourself.

Please note: these are reference records compiled from public sources. They have not been examined or certified by The Book of World Records. Looking for certified records? See the World Record Holders. Want to set a record of your own? Try one of our easy record challenges.

135 weird and amazing records · page 1 of 6

Reference · not certified First Female President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova · Slovakia Reference · not certified First Woman and First African to Lead the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala · Nigeria Reference · not certified Zambia's First World Boxing Champion Esther Phiri · Zambia Reference · not certified First North African Woman to Win an Olympic Gold Medal Hassiba Boulmerka · Algeria Reference · not certified First Olympic Medal Won by Fiji Fiji National Rugby Sevens Team · Fiji Reference · not certified Site of One of the Oldest Surviving Legal Codes in the World Code of Hammurabi · Iraq Reference · not certified Oldest Continuously Inhabited Capital City in the World Damascus · Syria Reference · not certified First Elected Female Head of State in Africa Ellen Johnson Sirleaf · Liberia Reference · not certified First African Republic to Declare Independence Republic of Liberia · Liberia Reference · not certified Kalinago Territory, home to the Caribbean's largest surviving Indigenous Kalinago population Institutional / General Record · Dominica Reference · not certified Peleliu, site of one of the bloodiest Pacific battles of WWII Institutional / General Record · Palau Reference · not certified Only Olympic-caliber weightlifting champion to become a national president Marcus Stephen · Nauru Reference · not certified First Portuguese African colony to unilaterally declare independence Amílcar Cabral / PAIGC · Guinea-Bissau Reference · not certified Most Famous Slow Swim in Olympic History Eric Moussambani · Equatorial Guinea Reference · not certified Highest Concentration of Foreign Military Bases of Any Nation Institutional / General Record · Djibouti Reference · not certified Site of the Battle of Guadalcanal, a Turning Point of World War II Institutional / General Record · Solomon Islands Reference · not certified Ranked the World's Happiest Country by the Happy Planet Index Institutional / General Record · Vanuatu Reference · not certified Only Pacific Island Nation Never Colonized by a Foreign Power Institutional / General Record · Tonga Reference · not certified First new sovereign state of the 21st century Institutional / General Record · Timor-Leste Reference · not certified World's newest sovereign country Institutional / General Record · South Sudan Reference · not certified First queen to rule Yemen in her own name Arwa al-Sulayhi · Yemen Reference · not certified One of Africa's few "Free"-rated democracies Institutional / General Record · Cabo Verde Reference · not certified Longest-serving Togolese head of state Gnassingbé Eyadéma · Togo Reference · not certified Founding of Freetown Institutional / General Record · Sierra Leone

Questions

Are these records certified by The Book of World Records?

No. The records on this page are reference records compiled from public sources. They have not been examined or certified by The Book of World Records. Certified records are listed on the World Record Holders page and can be verified online by record number.

Can I break one of these weird world records?

Yes. Open the record, then use "Apply to certify this record" or apply with your own title. Applying is free, and certified records receive their own record number and certificate.

What makes a record weird but still valid?

A record can be unusual and still be valid if it is measurable, can be verified from evidence and is safe to attempt. We never certify attempts that put people or animals at risk.

Think you can do something weirder?

Applying is free. Our team checks that your record is measurable and safe.

Apply for a record