Just some worthless stuff I know... -At 15,550ft , Bangda Airport is the worlds highest airport. Where is it? Tibet -What is the busiest airport in the world with over 80 million passgers yearly? Atlanta Hartsfield -What is the longest time survived adrift at sea? 484 days -How old is the youngest person to visit all the worlds countries? 28 -How long is the longest motorcycle? 29 ft and 3 in -What is the most widely spoken language in the world? ( its not what most ppl think it is) Chinese -What country has the most offical languages (11)? South Africa -What is the highest speed ever reached by a motorcycle? 322 mph **edited** OK I made them a little bigger.
I only knew 5 of those. Maybe I should have put on my thinking head. Edited ... just noticed the answers are all there. Boy is that print small - needed a magnifying glass to see it!!!
How the heck did they manage that Any more details on that one Denee? By the way I am like a sponge for useless information so this thread rocks!
Did you know ? Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest :? 8) Bugs
I dont know. Ill see if I can find something. I was looking in the Guiness Book for info and lookie what I fould! More useless info! And this stuff is right up our alley! Biggest Garden Center Bridgemere Garden World, Cheshire, UK, covers 10.1 ha (25 acres). A separate display garden called The Garden Kingdom covers 2.43 ha (6 acres). Each year the site attracts 1.8 million visitors. At total of 340 people work in the center, which makes annual sales of around three million plants. Deepest Root The greatest reported depth to which roots have penetrated has been calculated at 120 m (393.7 ft) for a wild fig tree at Echo Caves, near Ohrigstad, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The common fig is a member of the genus Ficus. Ficus is a large genus with some 2,000 tropical and subtropical tree, shrub, and vine species distributed around the whole world. Earliest documented horticultural show The earliest documented public horticultural show was the Exhibition of Fruits, Flowers and Plants, which was hosted by the Pennyslvania Horticultural Society (established 1827), and held at the Masonic Hall, Pennsylvania, USA on 6 June 1829. Fastest Growing Plant Some species of the 45 genera of bamboo have been found to grow at up to 91 cm (3 ft) per day, or at a rate of 0.00003 km/h (0.00002 mph). Bamboo grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species can grow up to one meter per day. It is said you can almost watch it grow! Garden With Most Number Of World's Tallest Trees The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK, has the tallest known specimens of 138 species of tree. Greatest Tree Girth Ever The European chestnut (Castanea sativa), known as The Tree Of A Hundred Horses, on Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, had a circumference of 57.9 m (190 ft) when measured in 1780. The tree has now split into three seperate parts. Heaviest Cabbage A cabbage grown by Bernard Lavery of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, in 1989, weighed 56.24 kg. (124 lb.). Heaviest lemon The world's heaviest lemon weighed 5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz) on January 8, 2003 and was grown by Aharon Shemoel (Israel) on his farm in Kefar Zeitim, Israel. Highest Ring Density The redwood Paleotwin Tree had 950 annual rings in a radius of 2.54 cm (1 in). The average density in the radius, counted by Ron Hildebrant, USA, was 350-400 rings per inch. The tree was over 10,000 years old. Largest Four-Leaf Clover Collection George J. Kaminski (b. 1951) has single-handedly collected 72,927 four-leaf clovers since 1995. They were collected from fields within prison grounds in Pennsylvania, USA. Largest Fruit Collection Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent, UK, has over 4,500 fruit trees including 2,300 apple trees and 400 pear trees, making it the largest fruit collection in the world. (someone likes fruit!) Largest Garden The largest garden is arguably that created by Andre Le Notre at Versailles, France, in the late 17th century, for Louis XIV. Created in what had been a muddy swamp, it covers over 6,070 ha. (15,000 acres). Largest permanent hedge maze The world's largest permanent hedge maze is the Peace Maze at Castlewellan Forest Park, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, which has a total area of 11,215 m² (2.771 acres), a total path length of 3.515 km (2.184 miles) and opened on September 12, 2001. The maze was designed by Beverley Lear (UK) and created by , Northern Ireland and members of the public. Largest Rhododendron An example of the scarlet Rhododendron arboreum on Mt. Japfu, Nagaland, India, reached a height of 20 m (65 ft). Largest Rose Bush A specimen of the rose bush, Lady Banksia (Rosa banksiae,), known as "Banks", at Tombstone, Arizona, USA, has a trunk circumference of 4.09 m (13 ft 6 in). It stands approx. 2.75 m (9 ft) high and covers an area of 740 sq m (8,000 sq ft). >faints dead away!> Largest Seed The largest seed in the world is that of the giant fan palm (Lodoicea maldivica), commonly known as the double coconut or coco de mer. The single-seeded fruit weighs up to 20 kg (44 lb) and can take 10 years to develop. Largest Single Flower The orange, brown, and white parasite (Rafflesia arnoldi) has the largest flowers. These attach themselves to the cissus vines of the jungles of Southeast Asia. They measure up to 91 cm (3 ft) across, weighing up to 11 kg (24 lb). Largest tree transplanted The largest tree to be transplanted was an oak tree (Quercus lobata), aged between 180-220 years and measuring 17.67 m (58 ft) tall, 31.6 m (104 ft) wide (branch-span), weighing approximately 415.5 tonnes (916,000 lb) and with a trunk girth of 5 m (16 ft 2 in). "Old Glory" was moved 0.4 km (0.25 miles) by Senna Tree Company (USA) to a new park in Los Angeles, California, USA on January 20, 2004. Largest Undivided Leaf The largest undivided leaf is that of Alocasia macrorrhiza, from Sabah, Malaysia. A specimen found in 1966 was 3.02 m. (9 ft. 11 in.) long, 1.92 m. (6 ft. 38 in.) wide, and had a surface area of 3.17 sq. m. (34.12 sq. ft.). Largest Vine The largest vine is the Great Vine at Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, UK, which has a circumference of 3.8 m (12 ft 5 in) and branches typically measuring up to 33 m (108 ft) long. The longest measures 75 m (246 ft) long as of January 2005. Largest Weed The giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), originally from the Caucasus, reaches 3.65 m (12 ft) in height and has leaves 91 cm (36 in) long. It was introduced into Europe, Canada, and the US as a garden ornamental and - after taking hold as a pest - has since become naturalized in these parts of the world. Longest Flower Line From November 3-5, 1997, 370 students at the Agricultural Education Centre, Clusius College of Alkmaar, The Netherlands, with help from 146 volunteers, created a flower line 1,965 m (6,446 ft) long, using 185,400 flowers. Longest Surviving Tree The earliest surviving species of tree is the maidenhair (Ginkgo biloba) of Zhejiang, China, which first appeared 160 million years ago during the Jurassic era. Most Baby Plants From One Spider Plant Helen Richards of Bristol, England, owned a spider plant which had produced 1,308 baby plants three years after she bought it at a village fair. The plant measured 91 cm. (3 ft.) across and 60 cm. (2 ft.) tall in June 1999. Most Leaves on a Clover The symbol of St Patrick's Day is the three-leaf clover, although the most leaves ever found on a clover stem (Trifolium repens L.) is 18. The presumably-very-lucky clover was discovered by Shigeo Obara of Hanamaki City, Iwate, Japan, on May 25, 2002. The clover is associated with St Patrick's Day because the saint - whose death is marked each March 17 - used a three-leaved clover to illustrate the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Finding a fourth leaf is considered lucky as it represents God's Grace and therefore a blessing. According to the Old Testament, Eve left the Garden of Eden with only a four-leaved clover to cover her modesty. Most Massive Living Tree The worlds most massive living tree is General Sherman the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) growing in the Sequoia National Park, California, USA. It stands 83.82m (274.9 ft) tall, has a diameter of 11.1 m (36 ft 5 in) and a girth of 31.3 m (102 ft 0.5 in). The trunk has a volume of 1,487 m³ (52,508 ft³). This tree is estimated to contain the equivalent of 606,100 board feet of timber, enough to make 5 billion matches, and its red-brown bark may be up to 61 cm (24 in) thick in parts. Its weight, including the root system, is estimated at 2000 tonnes (4,000,000 lb). Most Massive Plant The most massive organism was reported in December 1992 to be a network of quaking aspen trees (Populus tremuloides) growing in the Wasatch Mountains, Utah, USA, from a single root system, covering 43 ha. (106 acres). Most Poisonous Fungi The yellowish-olive Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), which can be found in Britain, is the world's most poisonous fungus, responsible for 90% of fatal poisonings caused by fungi. Most Trees Planted In A Public Park Central Park, in New York City, USA, is one of the largest parks in the world. Designed by the landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead, work started in 1856 and, in the course of laying out the park, some 5 million trees were planted. The park was opened to the public in 1858. Most Visited Free Garden Hampton Court, near London, UK, had 2 million visitors in 1996. The garden has the oldest yew hedge maze in England. Sir Christopher Wren was involved in the design of the historic building. Construction of the building began during the reign of Henry VIII. Most Visited Garden With An Entrance Fee The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, England, had 1,000,015 paying visitors in 1996. Most of the plants on display are wild species rather than garden varieties, with specimen trees dating to the 18th century. The gardens cover 132 hectares on the south side of the Thames. Oldest Living Individual Tree The oldest living individual tree is the ancient Bristlecone Pine "Methuselah" (Pinus longaeva). It was found by Dr. Edmund Schulman (USA) in the White Mountains, California, USA and dated in 1957 as being 4,600 years old. Oldest Vine The Old Vine, in Maribor, Slovenia, is around 400 years old. A scientific measurement of the vine carried out in 1972 established that it was between 350 and 400 years old. The vine is featured on an illustration dating back to 1681. The vine yields roughly 35 - 55 kg of grapes every year - filling around 100 bottles of wine. Rose With Most Blooms A Cecile Bruener rose with a record 5,470 blooms was grown by Clifton Martin, of Merrylands, New South Wales, Australia, in 1982. The rose is the national flower of the USA. >faints< Slowest Growing Tree The slowest-growing tree is a white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) located in Canada. After 155 years, it grew to a height of 10.2 cm (4 in.) and weighed only 17 g (0.6 oz), averaging a growth of 0.11 g (0.003 oz) each year. The tree is found on a cliffside in the Canadian Great Lakes area. Smallest Seeds The smallest seeds are those of epiphytic orchids. Each gram contains around 992.25 million seperate seeds (28,129.81 million/oz.). Epiphytic plants are non-parasitic plants that grow on other plants. Orchids form the world's largest family of plants, they grow wild in every continent except Antarctica. Smelliest Flower Hold your noses, here comes the smelliest flower on Earth. The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is the stinkiest plant on the planet. It grows to an average height of two meters (6.5 ft), and when it blooms, releases an extremely foul odor comparable to rotten flesh, which can be smelled half a mile away. Also known as the "devil's tongue", this foul-smelling flower was discovered in 1878 in the rainforest of central Sumatra in Western Indonesia, by Italian botanist and explorer Dr Oroardo Beccari. Tallest Amaranthus The world's tallest amaranth plant (Amaranthus australis) measured 4.61 m (15.12 ft) on September 29, 2004 and was grown by David Brenner (USA) at Iowa State University, Iowa, USA. Tallest Chrysanthemum A chrysanthemum grown by Bernard Lavery of Llanharry, Rhonnda Cynon Taff, Wales, in 1995, grew to a height of 4.34 m (14 ft 3 in). Internationally famous, Dr Bernard Lavery has been growing giant vegetables and flowers since 1989. His seeds are sold throughout the world and he written a book titled How to Grow Giant Vegetables. Tallest Dahlia A dahlia grown by R. Blythe of Nannup, Western Australia, in 1990, grew to a height of 7.8 m. (25 ft 7 in). The dahlia is Mexico's national flower, and is native to Central America. It was only introduced to Europe in the 18th Century. Tallest Foxglove In 1997, Lydia Foy grew a foxglove that reached a total height of 3.29 m (10 ft 10 in) in her garden in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland. Tallest Fuschia A fuchsia grown since the summer of 2002 by members of The Growing Place, Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK, reached a height of 6.58 m (21 ft 7 in) when measured on July 1, 2003. The plant, a variety called 'Welsh Tricolour' created by Bernard Lavery (UK), has large single blooms in three different shades of pink, purple and mauve. Tallest homegrown cactus The tallest homegrown cactus (Cereus uruguayanus) measured 21.3 m (70 ft) on January 1, 2004 and was grown by Pandit S. Munji (India) in Dharwad, Karnataka, India. The 'hedge cactus' was planted in January 1990 and typically grows to 6 m (19 ft). Tallest Marigold The tallest marigold in the world measured an incredible 3.04 m (10ft) high! It was measured in April 2002 and belongs to Arvind Kumar Nema who lives in Indrapuri, Bhopal, India. This height is amazing when you think that the tallest of all the marigold species typically grows to 1.5 m (5 ft)! Tallest Pepper Plant Laura Liang of Irvine, California, grew a pepper plant, which when two years old in the Spring of 1999, reached a height of 4.87 m (16 ft). Laura bought the plant from a neighbor. Tallest Petunia A petunia grown by Bernard Lavery of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, in 1994, grew to a height of 5.8 m (19 ft 1 in). Dr Bernard Lavery has been growing giant vegetables and flowers since 1989. He has been asked for advice by the president of United Arab Emirates for a project aimed at introducing new flowers and vegetables into the region Tallest rose bush The tallest rose bush measured 3.8 m (12 ft 8 in) on September 15, 2004 and grows in the garden of Kathleen Mielke-Villalobos (USA) who lives in San Diego, California, USA. Tallest Sunflower In 1986, Martien Heijms of Oirschot, The Netherlands, grew a sunflower with a total height of 7.76 m (25 ft 5 in). Martien Heijms has portioned off a section of his garden for the exclusive cultivation of sunflowers, and devotes a portion of each day to nurturing his record-breaking plants. Tallest Tomato Plant A tomato plant grown by Nutriculture Ltd, Mawdesley, Lancashire, England, reached a record-breaking height of 19.8 m (65 ft) on May 11, 2000. The plant was grown hydroponically - which means it was grown passing nutrient solutions through it rather than planting it in the soil. Tallest Topiary TOP TOPIARY Moirangthem's passion for shaping plants and clipping shrubs stems from his childhood in Manipur, India, where he grew up in the countryside. The talented gardener now works as an agricultural scientist at Meerut University. He calls his giant plant "sweetheart", and has never looked back since 1983, when he first set eyes on the Nilkanta (Hindi name for the Duranta hedge plant) growing in a small plant pot. On the day of receiving his Guinness World Record certificate his neighbors celebrated by lighting candles. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Topiary derives from the Latin word Topiarius. The art of cutting trees and plants into shapes was first the pastime of the Romans between 38 BC and 14 AD, but soon spread to the four corners of the globe with the rise of the Roman Empire. During the harsh Middle Ages it was left to monks to keep topiary alive, with communities struggling to live, let alone create fancy greenery. It was revived during the Italian Renaissance. Tallest Umbrella Plant The world's tallest umbrella plant (Schefflera arboricola) measured 8.22 m (27 ft) on January 4, 2002. It is currently growing inside Konsta's Restaurant, Richmond, Virginia, USA, which is owned and managed by Konstantinos Xytakis and Sara Guterbock (both USA). The giant plant was purchased in 1977 when it was very small and it did not start to shoot-up until it was placed in its current cosy spot in 1989. There has been no stopping it since... When the plant hit the ceiling of the second floor of the restaurant, Konsta knew that his plant had record-breaking potential. Tree With Most Different Fruit The Guinness World Record for the highest number of different fruits produced from the same tree is five: apricot, cherry, nectarine, plum, and peach. The fruit species were grafted on to a prune tree in 2000 by Luis H. Carrasco E. of Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile. Worst Aquatic Weeds The worst aquatic weed of the tropics and subtropics is the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), a native of the Amazon Basin, the weed now extends through much of North America and Australia. It was introduced from South America to the United States at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exhibition of 1884-1885, in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was reported that the plants were placed in a lawn fountain on the banks of the St Johns River. Because they rapidly multiplied, the excess plants were discarded in the river itself. By 1898, the water hyacinth had become such a nuisance that steamboats and other vessels were unable to reach docks or pass through narrow points in the river! High concentrations of water hyacinth weeds result in degraded water quality and major changes in plant and animal communities as light and oxygen are severely restricted.
Bravest donkey On 19 May 1997 Murphy, an Australian Army donkey, was posthumously awarded the RSPCA Australia Purple Cross, an award for animal bravery, at the Australian War Memorial on behalf of all donkeys that had served in the 1915-1916 Gallipoli campaign. ::snort::
Longest Surviving Headless Chicken On September 10, 1945, a Wyandotte chicken belonging to Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, USA, had its head chopped off, but went on to survive for 18 months. Mike's owner, Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorada, USA, fed and watered the headless chicken directly into his gullet using an eyedropper. Mike eventually choked to death one night in an Arizona motel. FIND OUT MORE Sceptical scientists thought it was a hoax, so one week into Mike-the-headless-chicken's physically-altered life, farmer Lloyd Olsen packed Mike up and took him on a cross-country tour from Fruita, Colorado to the University Of Utah in Salt Lake City. The axe blade, scientists discovered, had missed the five-and-a-half month old Wyandotte rooster's jugular vein, and a clot had saved the chicken from bleeding to death. Because Lloyd had aimed the axe so high, most of the brain stem was left at the top of the spine. One ear had also survived. Mike, it seemed, had lost the power to see and to cluck, but could still hear and think. Mike was also growing, weighing 1.1 kg. (2.5 lb.) when he first lost his head, and developing to a respectable 3.6 kg. (8 lb.) by the time he passed away. Celebrity status was guaranteed when a manager took the chicken on a national tour, and his story was reported in well-respected news magazines Life and Time. Like many legendary celebrities, Mike's life ended in a hotel room. Mike began to choke and Lloyd was unable to find the eyedropper to clear Mike's esophagus. It was the end of the road for Mighty Mike. Gone but certainly not forgotten, Mike's life is celebrated each year by Fruita residents, who simply remember him as, "a big, fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head".
Most Votes For A Chimp In A Political Campaign In the 1988 mayoral elections campaign in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the anti-establishment "Brazilian Banana Party" presented a chimpanzee called Tião as their candidate. The name Tião means "Big Uncle" in Portuguese, and the moody monkey (well, ape, to be exact) had the campaign slogan "Vote monkey - get monkey". Tião's candidacy was promoted by the Partido Bananista Brasileiro and the satirical magazine Casseta Planeta, which advertised his cause as that of the last political prisoner of Brazil. Tião came third out of 12 candidates, taking just over 400,000 votes. He passed away in December 1996, aged 33, at his cage in Rio's zoo. South Americans are no strangers to creature candidates. In the Sao Paulo State Parliament elections of October 4, 1958, Cacareco the rhinoceros was the most popular candidate with an estimated 100,000 votes (although these were later declared null by the authorities).
Most Expensive Pet Wedding In September 1996, two rare "diamond-eyed" cats, Phet and Ploy, were married in matching pink outfits at a ceremony in Thailand's biggest discotheque. It cost Phet's owner, Wichan Jaratarcha, 410,979 Thai Bhat ($16,241).
I really enjoyed reading those Denee. Thanks. My first cousin, Lilly Bostock, was (don't know if she still is) in the Guinness Book of Records under multiple births. She gave birth, naturally, to quins in 1972 on the 14th of April. Her husband, Jim had wanted to try for a little girl as they already had two sons.... well he got four + another boy. Terrified the life out of me because I was expecting Duncan (born 1st June) at the time and so kept everything crossed that it wasn't catching.
No sorry Frank. Only 7 kids, 3 pregnancies. 2 singles (her 2 older boys) and then quins born from her third pregnancy. When I went to visit her I couldn't believe that the whole intensive care ward was filled with her five babies!!! All survived and are now 34 years old.
Wow that's amazing Eileen. I can only imagine what it must be like to deliver 5 kids in one session !!! Also what it must be like to be part of a quintuplet set.
