Most people know the Guinness Book of World Records… but almost nobody knows it started with a missed shot at a bird — and a barroom argument that got way out of hand.
In this episode, Gordy uncovers the real story behind the Guinness Book of World Records, tracing its roots back to Sir Hugh Beaver, the Guinness Brewery, and one fateful hunting trip in Ireland. Discover how a marketing idea meant to settle pub debates over “the fastest” and “the biggest” turned into a global publishing phenomenon.
From the McWhirter twins’ obsessive fact-checking to the book’s transformation from bar giveaway to cultural empire, this is the wild, witty story of how a beer company accidentally created the most famous record book on Earth.
Expect clever insight, historical trivia, and one truly legendary case of content marketing done right.
Sources:
Guinness World Records. (n.d.). Official History. Retrieved from https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com
Beaver, H. (n.d.). The Origins of the Guinness Book of Records. Guinness Archives, Dublin.
BBC History. (2015). The Twins Who Built a World of Records.
The Irish Times. (2018). How an Argument Over Birds Led to the Guinness Book of Records.
The Guardian. (2020). From Barroom Bet to Global Brand: The Guinness World Records Story.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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