Book of records: who is Guinness, and why the book was originally created

Probably, everyone without exception knows about the Guinness Book of Records, where information about outstanding people, animals, objects and phenomena is entered. But here is who Arthur Guinness was, whose name is the book of records, and what unusual function she originally performed, we will tell in our review.

Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) was not a scientist or writer, collecting interesting information about everything in the world, but a famous brewer who owned a large brewery in Dublin and was a successful businessman. Guinness took up his business after his relative, Archbishop Price, left him a legacy of 100 pounds. 27-year-old Arthur rented a small brewery with an adjoining piece of land, and a few years later Guinness beer became one of the most popular in Dublin. The case was continued by his sons, and a company called Arthur Guinness Son & Co became one of the most prosperous in the brewing business.

But the Guinness Book of Records owes its appearance not to Arthur Guinness or even to his sons. The book, containing interesting facts about the most outstanding things, was first published in 1955 by order of Hugh Beaver, manager of the Guinness breweries. The encyclopedia immediately became a bestseller and gained extraordinary popularity first in the UK and then around the world.

After the incredible success of the first edition of the Guinness Book of Records, it was published in the United States, and after some time she conquered the whole world. Gradually, publications specializing only in some narrow topics appeared, World Guinness Book of World Records began to be celebrated, and the Guinness World Records company was founded, whose specialists record new records and collect information for the book. And thousands, if not millions of people, wanting to get to the pages of the next Book of Records, even if having done something absurd, but at the same time, have added to numerous fans of the print publication.

So, from a banal reference book, the Book of Records, created on the initiative of a brewing company, has turned into one of the most popular books of mankind.