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Latest Guinness World Records: From the amazing to the wacky

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The 2011 edition is out Thursday
  • The longest dog tongue and largest collection of Smurfs are among the records
RELATED TOPICS

London, England (CNN) -- The largest collection of Smurf memorabilia, the longest dog tongue, and the most football management rejection letters could only be together in one place -- the annual list of Guinness World Records.

All of them have made the 2011 edition, released Thursday.

The Smurf collection involves 1,061 different items owned by Stephen Parkes, 44, of Nottingham, England. He said he began collecting them in 1976 when he was 10, and that today he will pay as much as 500 pounds ($780) for a rare item.

"It's great to get in the book, although I think I'm going to get a fair amount of stick (criticism) from friends when they see the photos," Parkes said.

Patrick Rielly of Scotland saw the bright side after setting a record for the most rejection letters -- 46 -- from professional football clubs across Britain.

Video: Latest Guinness World Records

"I might have not got my dream job, but now I have a world record," he said. "Every cloud has a silver lining!"

The 2011 book, published internationally Thursday, is the annual edition of a best-selling record book that has sold 115 million copies to date.

This year's records include the longest-lasting lightning storm (on Saturn for eight months); the longest hair (18 feet, 5 inches); and the heaviest living woman to give birth (American Donna Simpson, at 531 pounds).

Mario's Cafe Bar in Bolton, England, set a record that may whet a person's appetite -- or ruin it altogether. It has the largest commercially available English breakfast, a traditional filling and greasy meal.

Mario's version includes six slices of bacon, six sausages, four eggs, six slices of bread, five black puddings, mushrooms, a can of beans, and tomatoes. It weighs 6 pounds, 7 ounces and costs 10.95 pounds ($17), but anyone who can eat it within 20 minutes gets it free.

With a breakfast like that, diners may need a workout. For inspiration they can look to British man Stephen Buttler, who broke the record for the most push-ups with claps in one minute -- 73, or 1.2 push-ups per second.

Animal records are always a feature, many of them even stranger than the world's smallest cow at 33 inches from hind to foot in West Yorkshire, England.

A Pekingese dog from Texas named Puggy set the record for the longest dog tongue, measuring 4.5 inches, nearly the same length as his body. His owner said she adopted Puggy eight years ago after he was abandoned.

"From being a stray dog, being dumped, to being a Guinness World Record holder is just phenomenal," owner Becky Stanford said. "I just can't believe it."

A feisty Jack Russell terrier from California is in the book for popping 100 balloons in the fastest time by a dog -- just 44.49 seconds. The dog, Anastasia, showed her talent for the first time at a New Year's party, her owner said.

"When Anastasia sees balloons in public, she starts with a small whine and builds to a squeal," said Doree Sitterly. "She'll then begin screaming like a banshee and is difficult to control. She is focused on popping balloons only and nothing else."

Other animal records include the oldest gorilla in captivity, Colo, who lives in the United States and is now 53. The oldest sheep is an Australian named Lucky, who is 24, and the longest rabbit is Darius, who lives in Britain and is 4 feet, 3 inches.

"Animal achievements are among the most popular records in our book, so for 2011, in addition to the usual chapter on record-breaking creatures in the wild, we've added an entire new chapter focusing on our favorite pets, zoos, and farm animals, said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records.