world records

A 130 degree temperature was recorded Sunday in Death Valley National Park, Calif. Now a committee of scientists is working to verify this temperature, which might turn out to be one of the hottest ever recorded.

How Weather Detectives Scrutinize Would-Be World Records

3:28pm August 19, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When a weather station in Death Valley recorded a high of 130 degrees Sunday, it triggered an inquiry to verify the reading. Here's a look into the exacting process of vetting extreme weather claims.

An aerial view from Saturday shows a floral pyramid of more than 500,000 roses, an attempt to set a Guinness World Record in Tabacundo, Ecuador.

World News

Ecuador Builds Pyramid Of Roses In Attempt To Set A World Record

4:06pm July 16, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Half a million flowers went into the structure, which is a replica of a pre-Incan pyramid.

Distillery Cat Wanted: Must Be Affable, Brand-Boosting, Cold-Blooded Killer

7:00am October 01, 2017

by Tove Danovich

A new book profiles some of the world's most fascinating felines, while telling how their job descriptions have evolved from rodent catchers to today's ambassadors for distilleries and breweries.

Rick Swenson, triumphant in his pumpkin. This photograph was taken when he unofficially broke the record at mile 15.2.

National

He Couldn't Break The Record For Pumpkin-Growing — So He Broke Out A Paddle

3:46pm October 30, 2016

by NPR Staff

So, you've grown a pumpkin that weighs over a thousand pounds. What now? For Rick Swenson, competitive pumpkin grower, the answer was clear: get in and paddle it down the river as far as it'll go.

Michal Kapral "joggling" during last weekend's Chicago Marathon.

Man Juggles For An Entire Marathon Without A Single Drop

3:26pm October 13, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Michal Kapral is a top "joggler." Naturally, that means juggling while jogging. He already held the world record in joggling a marathon. Now, he's run one without dropping a ball even once.

Miss Susie Susannah Mushatt Jones with her niece Lois Judge as they celebrate her 113th birthday with a party at the Vendalia Senior Center in Brooklyn in 2012.

Susannah Mushatt Jones, The World's Oldest Person, Has Died In New York

5:08pm May 13, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Jones, who was 116, reportedly had a penchant for bacon and lingerie. Now, there is believed to be only one person still alive who was born before 1900.

The world's largest stocking — stitched together from handmade blankets — was confirmed by Guinness World Records this week.

1,600-Pound Stocking Knitted With Care In Hopes A World Record Soon Would Be There

7:26pm December 10, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

Since Veterans Day 2014, more than 1,100 crafters have been making blankets and sending them to a yarn company. The result: a record-setting patchwork stocking, and a donation for military charities.