What is the history of Guinness World Records, and how did it all begin?

Guinness World Records, formerly known as the Guinness Book of Records, is a reference book published annually that contains a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book series of all time.

The idea for the book came about in the early 1950s, when Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, was on a shooting party in Ireland and became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe - the golden plover or the grouse. He realized that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the grouse was Europe's fastest game bird. After failing to find an answer in any books, Sir Hugh realized that a book that could settle such disputes would be extremely popular.

The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records was published in 1955 and distributed for free to pubs in the UK to help settle disputes over records. The book quickly became a commercial success and was soon published internationally. Today, Guinness World Records has become a global brand with offices in London, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, and Dubai. The company also hosts television series and produces various publications.