Highest initial print run for a fiction book
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had an initial print run of 12 million copies making it the biggest initial print run in history when it was released at midnight on 21 July 2007.
Highest hyperacuity
The human eye is capable of judging relative position with remarkable accuracy, reaching limits of between 3 and 5 seconds of arc. In April 1984, Dr Dennis M. Levi (USA) of the College of Optometry, University of Houston, Texas, USA, repeatedly identified the relative position of a thin bright green line within 0.85 seconds of arc. This is equivalent to a displacement of some 6 mm (0.25 in) at a distance of 1.6 km (1 mile).
Highest insured hair
The highest insured hair is that of professional American footballer Troy Polamalu (USA) of the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers (USA), whose trademark locks were insured for $1 million (£622,713) with Lloyd’s of London by Procter and Gamble shampoo brand Head & Shoulders on 30 August 2010. Polamalu has not cut his hair since 2000 as a tribute to his Samoan ancestors. He had served as a Head & Shoulders spokesman for two years at the time the insurance policy was taken out. Polamalu’s insured Continue reading →
Highest insurance valuation for a painting
The highest known insurance valuation for a painting is $100million (£53.55 million) assessed for the move of The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519, Italy) from the Louvre in Paris, France, to Washington, DC, USA and then New York City, New York, USA for a special exhibition 14 December 1962 to 12 Mar 1963. However, insurance was not concluded because the cost of the highest security precautions was less than that of the premiums. It was painted c. 1503–07 and measures 77x53cm Continue reading →
Highest jump by a dog
The world record for the highest jump cleared by a dog is 172.7 cm (68 in), achieved by Cinderella May a Holly Grey, owned by Kate Long and Kathleen Conroy (both USA) of Miami, Florida, USA, at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals, Gray Summit, Missouri, USA on 7 October 2006.
Highest iron road (via ferrata)
The highest via ferrata is located on Mt Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. It begins at a height of 3,411 metres (11,190 ft 11 in) with its highest point at 3,776 metres (12,388 ft 5 in). It was constructed by mountaineering company, Mountain Torq (Malaysia). There are three routes on the via ferrata: The beginners “walk the torq”, the “preamble” and the “low peak circuit” which is the hardest.
Highest intensity focused laser
The HERCULES Petawatt Laser at the University of Michigan, USA, can produce a focused laser beam with an intensityof 2×1022 W/cm2 (20 billion trillion watts per square centimeter). The laser is fired in a pulse lasting just 30 million billionths of a second and its intensity is equivalent to focusing all the sunlight that hits the Earth onto a single grain of sand.
Highest jump by a horse
The official Fédération Equestre Internationale record for high jump is 2.47 m (8 ft 1.25 in) by Huaso ex-Faithful, ridden by Capt. Alberto Larraguibel Morales (Chile) at Viña del Mar, Santiago, Chile on 5 February 1949. The committee stated that in order for it to be beaten, 2.49 m must be cleared. http://www.horsesport.org/fei/pdfs/reference/03_02/jumping-20th-Part2.PDF
Highest jump by a guinea pig
The world record for guinea pig high-jump belongs to Puckel Martin who jumped 20 cm (7.8 in) on 16 March 2003. Puckel Martin is owned by Madde Herrman (Sweden) of Vargön, Sweden.
Highest jump by a pig
The world record for the highest jump by a pig is 70 cm (27.5 in) and was achieved by Kotetsu, a pot-bellied pig on 22 August 2004 at the Mokumoku Tedsukuri Farm, Mie, Japan. Kotetsu was 18 months old when he achieved his record, and was trained by Makoto Ieki (Japan).