The world’s earliest known fossil ciliate protozoans were formally documented in 2007. These ‘hairy’ microscopic single-celled organisms, characterised by tiny hair-like structures known as cilia on their external surface, were discovered within the Doushantuo Formation – a fossil-rich sedimentary deposit in China’s Guizhou Province, dating back approximately 580 million years to the Ediacaran Period.
The record for driving to the highest altitude by car is 6,688 m (21,942 ft) achieved by Gonzalo Bravo and Eduardo Canales (both Chile) with a 1986 modified Suzuki Samurai on the slopes of the Ojos Del Salado volcano, Atacama, Chile on 21 April 2007.
The wonder plant (Welwitschia mirabilis) of the Namib Desert in Namibia and Angola only produces two leaves, but they are far longer than those of any other species of desert plant, each one growing between 2-4 m long, though they eventually become split, or at least become shredded at their tips, due to the arid desert winds and harsh living conditions experienced in this environment. In contrast, the leaves of other desert plants are usually very small, to prevent water loss via evaporation.
162.400 km (100.91 miles) Yiannis Kouros (Greece) Montauban, France 15 -16 March 1985 This was set during a 48 hr race in Montauban, France.
Larry Kahn (USA) has won the English Tiddlywinks Association’s (ETwA) National Championships singles title a record eight times, between 1984 and 2010. Jonathan Mapley (UK) has won the ETwA’s National Championships pairs title an unprecedented nine times, between 1972 and 2000. Note from Patrick Barrie: ETwA (English Tiddlywinks Association) and NATwA (North American Tiddlywinks Association) host the “major” tiddlywinks tournaments (as defined by the International Federations of Tiddlywinks Associations). Tiddlywinks may be played as a “singles” game or as a “pairs” game (much like tennis
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147.600 km (91.71 miles) Ann Trason (USA) Hayward, United States 3-4 August 1991 Ann Trason has broken twenty world records during her career in various ultrarunning disciplines.
83.200 km (51.7 miles) Norimi Sakurai (Japan) Lupatoto Verone, Italy 27 September 2003 Norimi Sakurai holds several other world records in ultrarunning.
97.200 km (60.4 miles) Donald Ritchie (UK) London, UK 28 October 1978 Donald Ritchie also holds the record for the fastest 100 km ultra distance track which he set during this attempt.
The farthest basketball shot made with the head was 7.92 m (25 ft, 11 in) by Vegard Slettli Hansen (Norway) at Stavanger Idrettshall gym in Stavanger, Norway, on 10 December 2010. Hansen succeeded on his very first attempt.
The farthest basketball shot made while sitting on the court is 15.99 m (52 ft 6 in) by Dwight Howard (USA) of the Orlando Magic at the NBA All-Star Jam Session in Dallas, Texas, USA on 13 February 2010.