# Is there a definitive source for ALL current world records?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 5, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438 "2004-04-05T21:27:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/1 "2004-04-05T21:27:02Z")
I was just wondering if there was a book (collection of books?) or website that has every current confirmed world record.
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### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/2 "2004-04-05T21:29:59Z")
[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/)
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/3 "2004-04-05T21:59:47Z")
> [@Sqube](#):
>
> I was just wondering if there was a book (collection of books?) or website that has every current confirmed world record.
Aside from the Guinness book, how do you determine what is an official world record? If two different organizations claim to be the official sanctioning body for a world record, how can a third party decide which is correct.
In other words, I don’t think it is possible. Guinness is probably your best bet but even there I seriously doubt they list all possible records. There are too many tiny and obscure records to keep up with.
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### Author:  [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/4 "2004-04-05T23:00:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Guinness is probably your best bet but even there I seriously doubt they list all possible records. There are too many tiny and obscure records to keep up with.
Additionally, Guinness have a longstanding policy of not accepting attempts that are too obviously life-threatening. In certain categories they have even stopped accepting claims for types of feat they once carried. Presumably at least some attempts have occasionally been successfully carried out under their previous rules, but have been ruled inelegible for “official” recording.
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### Author:  [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/5 "2004-04-05T23:00:45Z")
Maybe here?
> **[Online Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, and Thesaurus](https://www.infoplease.com/)**
>
> Infoplease is a free, authoritative, and respected reference for Internet users that provides a comprehensive encyclopedia, almanac, atlas, dictionary, and thesaurus.
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### Author:  [@jweb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jweb)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-definitive-source-for-all-current-world-records/238438/6 "2004-04-06T03:55:40Z")
I don’t think it’s possible to keep track of every “world record”. Basiclally, if I wanted to, I could probably make up something crazy/stupid/whatever (largest navel lint collection, etc) and call it a world record.
Other then that, I’d say the cites already provided should give you more world records then you’d really want to think about.