On 21 August 1989, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, the Rare Bear, a modified Grumman F8F Bearcat piloted by Lyle Shelton (USA), set the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale-(FAI-) approved world record for a 3 km (1.8 mile) course of 850.24 km/h (528.31 mph), and in doing so became the fastest piston-engined aircraft. The Rare Bear is a restored and modified WWII era Grumman F8F Bearcat, complete with a Curtiss-wright R3350 engine which produces in excess of 3,000 kW (4,000 hp).

The volcanic explosion of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980, triggered the fastest recorded avalanche in history on the mountains north slope.  The velocity reached was 402.3km/h 250mph.

The fastest ATV side-wheelie is 75.6 km/h (47 mph) by Travis Pastrana (USA) at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, USA, on 18 November 2008 for the MTV show ‘Nitro Circus’. The GWR episode will air January 2009.

A team of physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, USA have developed an atomic clock that ‘ticks’ about a quadrillion (10 to the 15th) times per second. Eventually it is hoped that this clock will be accurate to 1 second in 30 billion years. This means that the clock would not even lose one second over the entire age of the universe. The clock works by using the frequency of oscillation of one ion of mercury at optical wavelengths. Continue reading →

The fastest average time to solve a 2x2x2 Rubik’s Cube is 1.69 sec and was set by Rami Sbahi (USA) at the Holy Toledo Winter 2014, held in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, USA, on 8 March, 2014. This feat was equaled by Lucas Etter (USA) at the Michigan 2014, on 13 July, 2014. Rami’s times were : 1.58, 1.82, 1.91, 1.50 and 1.66, with the lowest and highest times not counted towards the average, as per World Cube Association rules and regulations. Lucas’ times were : Continue reading →

The fastest baseball pitch is 65 mph (104.6 km/h) achieved by Lauren Boden (United States) at Lakeside High School, Atlanta, United States, on 19 April 2008. Lauren Boden was only 15 years old when she attempted the record. The pitch was measured by a sports radar gun and was witnessed by a qualified baseball umpire.

The fastest speed achieved by a battery-powered radio-controlled model car is 276.74 km/h (171.96 mi/h), set by the “R/C Bullet” driven by Nic Case (USA) at McFarland, California, USA on 19 December 2012. The “R/C Bullet” is a four wheel drive, 1:10 scale model powered solely by an electric motor. The power source is 12 5,000mAh lithium polymer batteries. The car was designed, built and driven by Nic Case.

The highest speed ever achieved on a bicycle is 268.831 km/h (166.944 mph) by Fred Rompelberg (Netherlands) behind a wind-shield fitted to a dragster car at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA on 3 October 1995. It should be noted that considerable help was provided by the slipstreaming effect of the lead vehicle.

Bobby Root (USA) achieved a speed of 138.56 km/h (86.1 mph) whilst riding his bicycle on the rear wheel at Palmdale, California, USA, on 31 January 2001 for Guinness World Records: Primetime. Root used the slipstream of a vehicle to reach the necessary speed before performing his wheelie. He travelled at 1.5 m (5 ft) behind it over a distance of 100 m (328 ft) before reaching the first of measured time distance of 9.75 m (32 ft). The wheelie was maintained for 9.75m (32 Continue reading →

Bobby Root of La Quinta, California, USA achieved a top speed of 94.62 km/h (58.8 mph)on the front tyre of his bicycle at Palmdale, California, USA on 31 January 2001 for Guinness World Records: Primetime. Root used the slipstream of a vehicle to reach the necessary speed before performing his wheelie. He travelled at 1.5 m (5 ft) behind it over a distance of 100 m (328 ft) before reaching the first of measured time distance of 9.75 m (32 ft).