The world’s first virtual TV presenter is ‘Maddy’, who co-presented BBC1’s Tomorrow’s World (UK) for the first time, live and in real-time, on 27 March 2002 alongside the human presenters. Maddy was created by Digital Animations Group based in Glasgow, UK, using techniques which enables Maddy to have facial expressions, reactions and movements exactly like a human. Her voice is electronically generated, but is based on the computer’s selection of pre-recorded words and phrases done by a real human. Maddy was based on a 20-year-old-model, Continue reading →

The best ever performance by a wildcard entrant at the Wimbledon Championships is that of Croatian Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. Invited to play in the competition by the All England Club, Ivanisevic, ranked 125th in the world won the Men’s singles title by beating Pat Rafter (Australia) 6-3 3-6 6-3 2-6 9-7 in the final and becoming the first wild card entrant to win a Grand Slam tournament. The Croatian’s popular win came in his fourth final appearance and he also served a record 213 Continue reading →

The earliest wildfire smouldered approximately 419 million years ago during the Silurian period, when oxygen levels may have been higher than today’s. A team of scientists from Cardiff University’s School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Science (UK) found evidence of a low-intensity burn, probably started by a lightning, whilst studying three-dimensional charred fossils of small plants found in rocks near Ludlow, in the Welsh Borderland, UK in April 2004.

The first nine-dart finish in a darts World Championship match was made by Paul Lim (USA) in his Embassy World Professional Darts Championship match against Jack McKenna (Ireland) at Lakeside, Frimley Green, UK on January 9, 1990

160 m (525 ft) Tanya Streeter (USA) The Turks and Caicos Islands 17 August 2002 The dive lasted 3 minutes 26 seconds. In addition to exceeding the women’s record it is now also the overall free diving record. No-limits free diving involves descending on a weighted ‘sled’ attached to a cable, and then ascending back to the surface by inflating a liftbag.

Gualdino Guerreiro (Portugal) managed to keep a regulation golf ball aloft, using two sandwedge golf clubs for 59 min 58 sec at the Giltar Hotel, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, UK on 15 September 2003.

A 1:32 scale model of the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Gloucester, built by Francis Macnaughton and piloted by Mike Watts and Paul Ellison (all UK), travelled a distance of 195.678 km (121.589 miles) in a 24-hour period at Bude Model Boat Festival, Cornwall, from 4–5 May 2002.

The greatest distance carrying a car in one hour was 407.7 m (1337 ft 7 in), which was achieved by Mark Anglesea (UK) at Herringthorpe Running Track, Rotherham, UK, on 2 October 2010. The car weighed 380 kg (837 lb) and was carried a total of 22 times.

The Greatest distance covered in 24 hours by motorized wheelchair is 247.84 km (154 miles) in 13 hours 50 minutes and was achieved by Jackie Weeden in association with the Red Wheelies and Quingo (all UK), at Fowlmead Country Park, in Deal, Kent, in United Kingdom, on 15 May 2011. The Red Wheelies are a charity that support Multiple Sclerosis and Quingo the company behind the organisation of the attempt, manufacture the motorised wheelchairs that were used in the attempt. Although there were three participants Continue reading →

The greatest distance cycled in 48 hours on a mountain bike was 571 km (354.8 mi) by Dave Buchanan (UK) cycling an off-road trail between Cardiff and Caernarfon, UK, from 13-15 May 2011. After the 48-hour mark, Buchanan continued to cycle so as to complete a trek from Cardiff to Caernarfon back to Cardiff that covered 721 km (448.01 mi) across more than 59 hours. Buchanan had 18 support riders alternating as witnesses throughout his ride. To be considered for this record, the cycling had Continue reading →