World's Widest Mouth

The widest mouth measures 6.69 inches! It belongs to Francisco Domingo Joaquim “Chiquinho” and was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy. On May 4, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, then later realized it was impossible to confirm in reference books. He then thought that a book supplying answers to such questions could be popular.

The first 197-page edition of the “Guinness Book of Records” was bound on Aug. 27, 1955, and went on to the top of the British best-seller list by Christmas. Over 400 million copies have sold since the first edition. The most recent one to hit the shelves is the “Guinness World Records 2011.”