When it comes to Guinness World Records, almost anything goes. To win, a record just has to check two boxes: It has to be official. And it has to be amazing.

Meet some recent Guinness World Record holders and hopefuls from around the globe.

Hurghada, Egypt: 

Grit. Muscle. An iron jaw. Popular Egyptian wrestler Ashraf Mahrous pulled a 700-ton ship across water with a rope held only by his teeth. Ouch! Somebody call the dentist! 

Iowa, United States:

A baby born at only 21 weeks of gestation in Iowa City, Iowa, took the Guinness World Record for most premature baby. Nash Keen was born on July 5, 2024 —133 days earlier than the expected due date. He weighed only 10 ounces. He was about the size of a bar of soap! (Nash went home from the hospital after about six months. Soon after his first birthday, he was learning to stand—just like other babies his age!)

Maebashi, Japan:

Kokichi Akuzawa became the oldest person ever to summit Mount Fuji. He was 102 at the time of the climb last summer. “I was really tempted to give up halfway through,” he says. “But my friends encouraged me, and it turned out well.”

Indiana, United States:

Alex Babich grew the world’s tallest sunflower. It towered above him at 35 feet, nine inches! Mr. Babich lives in the United States now, but he comes from Ukraine. He says, “Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine, so it’s special to me.” 

Civitavecchia, Italy: 

Zoom! Driver Fabio Barone raced across the flight deck of a Navy ship. He was chasing a world record for fastest car on a boat. His goal: reach at least 99.4 miles per hour . . . and hit the brakes in time to avoid launching off the deck into the sea. Mr. Barone did it—at 101.9 miles per hour. He submitted his achievement to Guinness for consideration.