8 Impressive Guinness World Records Set In Upstate New York
Remember when you were a kid and couldn't wait to get your hands on the latest Guinness World Records book? You'd pour over it for hours while daydreaming about the world record you would one day set.
Millions of people around the world have had the same dream of holding some sort of world record but the good news is that if you live in New York, you have a pretty decent chance of making your dream a reality.
A report from Empire Stakes dives into data and that data shows that New York has the distinction of holding more world records than any other state in America with an incredible 1,515.
What this means is that based on population, one in 13,093 people in New York hold a world record and these are just some of the interesting records that were set in Upstate New York.
Oldest First-Time Grandmother - Binghamton
Marianne Wallenberg was born in Germany in 1913 and along with her husband, Fritz, was a co-founder of the Binghamton Philharmonic. In 2008 at the age of 95, Wallenberg took the title of world's oldest first time grandmother when her son and his wife gave birth to twins Joshua Fritz Wallenberg and Karina Diana Wallenberg.
Largest Serving of Mashed Potatoes - Binghamton
On June 20, 2015, Jason Lin, Colin Stockdale, Tyler Hubney, and Evan Armstrong, aka. the Potato Posse, broke the world record for making the largest serving of mashed potatoes. The students from Union Endicott High School managed to make 2,641 pounds of mashed potatoes over the course of 10 hours at Binghamton University.
Most License Plates Torn in One Minute - Binghamton
In 2020, Bill Clark of Binghamton broke his own record of tearing license plates by tearing 29 license plates in 60 seconds. Clark dedicated his record to all essential employees battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Widest Tongue - Syracuse
Syracuse lays claim to not one but two Guinness World Records for the widest tongues. Byron Schlenker's tongue holds the record for the world's widest tongue measuring in at 3.39 inches. The other record holder just so happens to be Schlenker's daughter, Emily. At the age of 14, Emily took the title of record holder for the world's widest female tongue, measuring in at 2.87 inches.
Largest Human Playing Card - Verona
It took 600 people to pop on either white or red rain ponchos to form the largest human playing card which was a version of the ace of diamonds at Turning Stone Casino in July of 2013.
Highest Resolution Microscope -Ithaca
Cornell University is home to the record for having created the highest resolution microscope in the world which measures up to 0.39 ångströms. This record was achieved in 2018.
Oldest Fossilized Forest - Cairo
This world record for oldest fossilized forest is held by researchers from Binghamton University, New York State Museum, Cardiff University, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Southampton. In 2009, fossilized tree roots were discovered at a quarry near Cairo between the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River and research shows the roots to date back 386 million years. After extensive research, the findings were published in the journal Current Biology in 2019 and the record was officially set.
Largest Bagel - Syracuse
Displayed at the New York State Fair in Syracuse in 2007, the world’s largest bagel weighed in at 868 pounds and was made by Brueggers Bagels.