99-701: The Suncoast Suns was a minor league professional ice hockey team based in St. Petersburg, Florida , and played home games at the Bayfront Center . The Suns began in the Eastern Hockey League in 1971, and was a founding member of the Southern Hockey League in 1973. The Suns ceased operations in December 1973, partway through its third season. The Suns franchise was started by a group of businessmen who wanted
198-414: A Hit Albums book following two years later. In 1975, Parker Brothers marketed a board game, The Guinness Game of World Records , based on the book. Players compete by setting and breaking records for activities such as the longest streak of rolling dice before rolling doubles, stacking plastic pieces, and bouncing a ball off alternating sides of a card, as well as answering trivia questions based on
297-493: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) with some characteristics of a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ), with a defined rainy season from June through September. Many portions of St. Petersburg, especially along the bay and in south St. Petersburg, have tropical microclimates due to the maritime influence of the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay . As a result, tropical flora like coconut palms and royal palms can be found throughout
396-506: A branch that keeps records for popular video game high scores, codes and feats in association with Twin Galaxies . The Gamer's Edition contains 258 pages, over 1,236 video game related world records and four interviews including one with Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day . Editions were published for the years 2008 through 2020, with the 2009 edition in hardcover. The 2025 edition is the first since 2020. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
495-571: A citywide election during the summer of 2013. Following this, the "Pier Park" was chosen out of the 16 new design teams that submitted work in late 2014 and in 2015 the Pier Park was set for construction in early 2017. The new Pier District opened on July 6, 2020, and contains green space, the Marketplace, playground, splash pad, and several public art installations, including Janet Echelman 's aerial net sculpture, Bending Art . Downtown also contains
594-555: A fact-finding agency in London. The twin brothers were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of (Superlatives and now) Records, in August 1954. A thousand copies were distributed for free to pubs across Britain and Ireland as a promotional asset for the Guinness brand, and they became immensely popular with customers. After the founding of The Guinness Book of Records office at
693-597: A full-scale flying replica of the Benoist XIV flying boat was constructed by Florida Aviation Historical Society for the 70th anniversary of the flight. This aircraft is now on loan to the St. Petersburg Museum of History in St. Petersburg, Florida. Development of the first Major League Baseball team to be located in the Tampa Bay area began in St. Petersburg throughout the 1970s. The city tried to encourage numerous teams through
792-659: A huge number of world records. The organisation employs record adjudicators to verify the authenticity of the setting and breaking of records. Following a series of owners, the franchise has been owned by the Jim Pattison Group since 2008, with its headquarters moved to South Quay Plaza , Canary Wharf , London, in 2017. Since 2008, Guinness World Records has orientated its business model away from selling books, and towards creating new world records as publicity exercises for individuals and organisations, which has attracted criticism. On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver , then
891-747: A login on the company's website. Applications made by individuals for existing record categories are free of charge. There is an administration fee of £5 (or $ 5) to propose a new record title. A number of spin-off books and television series have also been produced. Guinness World Records bestowed the record of "Person with the most records" on Ashrita Furman of Queens, New York, in April 2009; at that time, he held 100 records. In 2005, Guinness designated 9 November as International Guinness World Records Day to encourage breaking of world records. In 2006, an estimated 100,000 people participated in over 10 countries. Guinness reported 2,244 new records in 12 months, which
990-563: A native of Newport, North Carolina , established his wholesale fish business at the end of the railroad pier, which extended out to the shipping channel. Within a year, Hibbs Fish Company was shipping more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of fish each day. St. Petersburg was incorporated as a city in June 1903. With this transition, the development of the downtown waterfront had dredging of a deeper shipping channel from 1906 to 1908 which opened St. Petersburg to larger shipping. Further dredging improved
1089-409: A new record. The company also provides corporate services for companies to "harness the power of record-breaking to deliver tangible success for their businesses." Guinness World Records states several types of records it will not accept for ethical reasons, such as those related to the killing or harming of animals. In the 2006 Guinness Book of World Records , Colombian serial killer Pedro López
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#17328546399551188-645: A part interest in the team. The team debuted on October 14, 1971 against the Greensboro Generals . In the 1971–72 season, the Suns won 27 games in the regular season, finished fourth place in the southern division, and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Charlotte Checkers in six games. The Charlotte Observer named team captain Gregg Pilling as the player of the year, and Hinchberger as coach of
1287-473: A record to break or to create a new category just for them. As such, they have been described as a native advertising company, with no clear distinction between content and advertisement. Guinness World Records was criticised by television talk show host John Oliver on the program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in August 2019. Oliver criticised Guinness for taking money from authoritarian governments for pointless vanity projects as it related to
1386-573: A scroll", along with other such titles. Concerns were also raised around the activities around Egypt, which moved from 22 records to 110 within a decade until 2024. James Lynch, co-founder of FairSquare, said the records were legitimising Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's regime. The Guinness World Records stated that its record titles "cannot be purchased". For some potential categories, Guinness World Records has declined to list some records that are too difficult or impossible to determine. For example, its website states: "We do not accept any claims for beauty as it
1485-487: A sword swallower, repeated lightning strike victim Roy Sullivan 's hat complete with lightning holes and a pair of gem-studded golf shoes on sale for $ 6,500. The museum closed in 1995. In more recent years, the Guinness company has permitted the franchising of small museums with displays based on the book, all currently (as of 2010 ) located in towns popular with tourists: Tokyo , Copenhagen , San Antonio . There were once Guinness World Records museums and exhibitions at
1584-605: A team in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, but chose St. Petersburg instead due to a suitable arena. The name Suncoast Suns was selected by a panel of judges in July 1971 including Jack Russell and Al Lopez because it represented the Tampa Bay area. The Suns became the first permanent professional hockey team in the Florida Suncoast area. Lloyd Hinchberger was the team's coach in the first two seasons. Actor James Garner later owned
1683-535: Is a British reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Sir Hugh Beaver created the concept, and twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter co-founded the book in London in August 1955. The first edition topped the bestseller list in the United Kingdom by Christmas 1955. The following year the book was launched internationally, and as of
1782-640: Is a city in Pinellas County, Florida , United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the state that is not a county seat (the city of Clearwater is the seat of Pinellas County). It is the second-most populous city in the Tampa Bay area , which is the second-largest metropolitan area in Florida with an estimated population of about 3.29 million in 2022. St. Petersburg
1881-500: Is headquartered in the downtown area. The Poynter Institute , which owns the paper, is located on 3rd Street South. The Mahaffey Theater complex, the Morean Arts Center , dozens of other art galleries, The Coliseum, Palladium Theatre , and Jannus Live are among the galleries and cultural venues featured downtown. Several prominent museums are located in the perimeter. Many of them have received notable accolades, including
1980-480: Is home to more than 100 neighborhoods, with most of the historic districts located near the bay. On the central Eastern edge of the city is Downtown St. Petersburg , which includes the city's residential and commercial skyscrapers, art galleries, museums, and parks. The downtown area is home to the central business district and to many start-up companies , corporate branches, banks, law firms, and restaurants. Apart from downtown's business and cultural offerings,
2079-472: Is located on the Pinellas peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico , and is connected to mainland Florida to the north. Locals often refer to the city as St. Pete . Neighboring St. Pete Beach formally shortened its name in 1994 after a vote by its residents. St. Petersburg is governed by a mayor and city council. With an average of 361 days of sunshine annually, and a Guinness World Record for
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#17328546399552178-419: Is not objectively measurable." On 10 December 2010, Guinness World Records stopped accepting submissions for the " dreadlock " category after investigation of its first and only female title holder, Asha Mandela, determining it was impossible to judge this record accurately. Traditionally, the company made a large amount of its revenue via book sales to interested readers, especially children. The rise of
2277-487: Is rapidly growing as development spreads down Central Avenue. North of downtown lie the Historic Old Northeast and Snell Isle , which both have Mediterranean style historic and waterfront homes, parks, and recreational areas. Old Northeast is home to a shopping district , city landmarks, beaches, and small shops as well as small residential high rises. Snell Isle was founded by C. Perry Snell who bought up
2376-422: Is slow. Would-be record breakers that paid fees ranging from US$ 12,000 to US$ 500,000 would be given advisors, adjudicators, help in finding good records to break as well as suggestions for how to do it, prompt service, and so on. In particular, corporations and celebrities seeking a publicity stunt to launch a new product or draw attention to themselves began to hire Guinness World Records , paying them for finding
2475-544: Is the effective authority on the exact requirements for them and with whom records reside, the company providing adjudicators to events to determine the veracity of record attempts. The list of records which the Guinness World Records covers is not fixed, records may be added and also removed for various reasons. The public is invited to submit applications for records, which can be either the bettering of existing records or substantial achievements which could constitute
2574-526: The Silver Meteor ). Travel time from across the bay was cut due to the Gandy Bridge 's opening in 1924, allowing direct access to Tampa and the rest of central Florida. The city took on a Mediterranean flair, with Old Spanish Trail style architecture promoted by Snell Isle founder Perry Snell, whose new country club island homes adopted many elements of Moorish design. Those same elements were echoed in
2673-658: The 1973–74 Southern Hockey League season . The Suns were experiencing financial issues, declining attendance, and some of the team's owners preferred to lure the Jersey Knights to town instead of the SHL team. The Suns ceased operations 31 games into the 72-game schedule, and folded on December 19, 1973. Notable Suns players that also played in the National Hockey League or World Hockey Association : Season-by-season results: St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg
2772-470: The Army Air Force chose the city as their technical service training station. The hotels filled for the first time in years, as up to 100,000 troops came to St. Petersburg. After the war, many of those troops who were stationed in St. Petersburg returned as residents or tourists. In the 1950s, St. Petersburg experienced another population boom, with the return of retiree resettlement to the city. In 1954
2871-690: The Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, the Museum of Fine Arts , the Salvador Dalí Museum , the now-closed Florida International Museum , the St. Petersburg Museum of History , Florida Holocaust Museum , and the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art . The city hosts many outdoor festivals throughout the year. St. Petersburg's downtown has been rated among the best in
2970-481: The Empire State Building . Speed shooter Bob Munden then went on tour promoting The Guinness Book of World Records by performing his record fast draws with a standard weight single-action revolver from a Western movie-type holster. His fastest time for a draw was 0.02 seconds. Among exhibits were life-size statues of the world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow , and world's largest earthworm , an X-ray photo of
3069-663: The London Trocadero , Bangalore , San Francisco , Myrtle Beach , Orlando , Atlantic City , New Jersey, and Las Vegas , Nevada . The Orlando museum, which closed in 2002, was branded The Guinness Records Experience ; the Hollywood, Niagara Falls , Copenhagen, and Gatlinburg , Tennessee museums also previously featured this branding. Guinness World Records has commissioned various television series documenting world record breaking attempts, including: Specials: In 2008, Guinness World Records released its gamer's edition,
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3168-577: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 137.6 square miles (356.4 km ). 61.7 square miles (159.9 km ) of it is land, and 75.9 square miles (196.5 km ) of it (55.13%) is water. St. Petersburg is bordered by Tampa Bay's three sections, Old, Middle and Lower Tampa Bay. Downtown St. Petersburg is the Central Business District, containing high rises for office use. The Tampa Bay Times newspaper
3267-509: The University of South Florida St. Petersburg and a downtown branch of St. Petersburg College . The downtown perimeter includes several parks, most of which are waterfront or lakefront. Straub Park is nearly a half mile long, boasts a waterfront location, and is home of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Because of the number of parks in the downtown area, The Trust for Public Land ranks St. Petersburg 1st in Florida and 15th out of 100 of
3366-419: The 1920s. Lang eventually became mayor and ambassador for the city, and helped its permanent population grow tenfold in just a decade. In 1914 an airplane service across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and back was initiated, generally considered the first scheduled commercial airline flight. The flight took former mayor Abe Pheil to Tampa. The company name was the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line , and
3465-502: The 1960s with the completion of the Howard Frankland Bridge in 1960, creating another connection between St. Petersburg and Tampa. St. Petersburg also received its first stadium named the Bayfront Center which hosted the first professional hockey league in Tampa Bay. A new municipal marina and the Museum of Fine Arts were also built downtown. St. Petersburg is home to one of the world's largest reclaimed water systems that
3564-476: The 1980 census. Racial tensions persisted, and the city was rocked by the 1996 riots , sparked by the shooting of a black teenager by a white St. Pete police officer. Growth stagnated in the subsequent decade and a half, but since the Great Recession , renewed interest in urban living by family aged residents and the expansion of the downtown university and related services has renewed its growth. According to
3663-407: The 2025 edition, it is now in its 70th year of publication, published in 100 countries and 40 languages, and maintains over 53,000 records in its database. The international franchise has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. The popularity of the franchise has resulted in Guinness World Records becoming the primary international source for cataloguing and verification of
3762-557: The Grand Central District. South of downtown is Historic Roser Park , which houses historic Mediterranean and Eclectic style housing, parks, and museums. The neighborhood is divided by Booker Creek which flows into Bayboro Harbor. In far western St. Petersburg, north of the separate city of South Pasadena, Florida , is the neighborhood of Pasadena, which includes the intersection of State Road 693 (Pasadena Avenue) and County Road 150 (Central Avenue). St. Petersburg has
3861-454: The Internet began to cut into book sales starting in the 2000s, part of a general decline in the book industry. According to a 2017 story by Planet Money of NPR , Guinness began to realise that a lucrative new revenue source to replace falling book sales was the would-be record-holders themselves. While any person can theoretically send in a record to be verified for free, the approval process
3960-708: The North and the Midwest by automobile, yacht, and railroad. The city was the principal Gulf Coast destination for long-distance trains of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 's Southland (from Chicago and Cincinnati) and Gulf Coast Limited (from New York, succeeded by the West Coast Champion ), and Seaboard Air Line Railroad trains such as the Southern States Special (from New York, succeeded by
4059-651: The Official Chart Company's singles and albums charts were combined under the title British Hit Singles & Albums , with Hit Entertainment publishing the book from 2003 to 2006 (under the Guinness World Records brand). After Guinness World Records was sold to The Jim Pattison Group, it was effectively replaced by a series of books published by Ebury Publishing/Random House with the Virgin Book of British Hit Singles first being published in 2007 and with
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4158-516: The Pier Hotel (formally Hotel Cordova), built in 1921, and The Exchange Hotel (formally The Heritage Hotel), built in 1926. The first major newspaper to debut in Tampa Bay was the St. Petersburg Times which established in 1884. Philadelphia publisher F. A. Davis turned on St. Petersburg's first electrical service in 1897. The city's first major industry was born in 1899 when Henry W. Hibbs (1862–1942),
4257-669: The South, with many waterfront parks and attractions. The area's gulf beaches are a 10-mile (16 km) drive from downtown, and are connected with downtown by the SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit line. Jutting a half mile into the bay is the St. Petersburg Pier , a major tourist attraction that offers various activities. "The Lens" design which was chosen by the International Design Competition Jury and accepted by City Council later had its contract terminated by
4356-598: The Southern Hockey League, due to travel costs of going to northern arenas, and other regulations such as dressing only 14 players for games. Team ownership changed to a local group led by Steve Kirby and Charles Mackey, who hired Paul Caron was hired as general manager, and Larry Kish as the club's new coach. The Suns affiliated with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and the New England Whalers for
4455-574: The United States to make St. Petersburg their new home. Designs for a ballpark were first presented in 1983 and construction for a permanent dome stadium began in 1986. This process controversially required the demolition of the mostly-Black Gas Plant neighborhood. The stadium opened in 1990 as the Florida Suncoast Dome, renamed the Thunderdome in 1993. After many attempts to attract tenants to
4554-428: The age of 18 living in them, 37,847 (34.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 16,425 (15.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4,849 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 9,453 (3.9%) unmarried partnerships. 39,397 households (36.2%) were made up of individuals, and 28,267 (26.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
4653-589: The area also includes a branch of St. Petersburg College and the campus of the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg. The downtown district is home to two professional sports teams, the Tampa Bay Rays, which play in the western part of downtown at Tropicana Field, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, which play along the downtown waterfront at Al Lang Stadium. The emerging Edge district on the western edge of downtown
4752-623: The area of Tampa Bay, they encountered people of the Safety Harbor culture . About 20 sites with temple mounds have been found around Tampa Bay, with several in Pinellas County. Best known of the Safety Harbor people was the chiefdom of Tocobaga , which was likely located at the Safety Harbor site in Philippe Park in northern Pinellas County. The Pánfilo de Narváez expedition landed on
4851-491: The audience on various world records and were able to give the correct answer. Ross McWhirter was assassinated by two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1975, in response to offering a £50,000 reward for information that would lead to capture of members of the organisation. Following Ross's assassination, the feature in the show where questions about records posed by children were answered
4950-447: The beach repeatedly and arresting protesters. This continued up to & after the Alsup v. St. Petersburg ruling in April 1957 that St. Petersburg could not segregate the beach or pool. After continued pressure from residents through swim-in's, on January 6, 1959, the government officially reopened them as an integrated beach and pool. The development of major transportation continued into
5049-619: The book became a surprise hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in September/October, in time for Christmas. The McWhirters continued to compile it for many years. Both brothers had an encyclopedic memory; on the British children's television series Record Breakers , based upon the book, which was broadcast on the BBC from 1972 to 2001, they would take questions posed by children in
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#17328546399555148-523: The city's new Vinoy, Jungle Country Club, Don Cesar and other fine hotels, as well as in Snell's new skyscraper office building downtown. The 1926 opening of the Million Dollar Pier marked the peak of the boom, adding an attraction that brought both tourists and townspeople together to enjoy fishing, amusements, trolley access and even a local radio station. The St. Petersburg flag was created in 1927 and
5247-508: The city, 5,272 (2.2%) were Puerto Rican , 2,855 (1.2%) were Mexican , 2,835 (1.2%) were Cuban , and other Hispanic or Latino residents made up 5,252 (2.1%) of the population. According to the 2010 census , the city population density was 3,964.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,530.7/km ). 84.1% of households were occupied while 15.9% were not occupied. 3,888 (1.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group-quarters and 2,719 (1.1%) were institutionalized. As of 2010, 23,304 (21.4%) had children under
5346-566: The city, and the city is home to the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum, a 2-acre (0.81 ha) park which houses over 500 palms and cycads, including a pair of large Jamaican Tall coconut palms which predate the freeze of 1989. St. Petersburg, like the rest of the Tampa Bay area, is occasionally affected by tropical storms and hurricanes . There were 2 hurricanes in 2024 that hit St. Petersburg within 2 weeks of each other: Hurricane Helene followed by Hurricane Milton. Prior to this,
5445-438: The cover with the topic of 'The ocean and the water'. The retirement of Norris McWhirter from his consulting role in 1995 and the subsequent decision by Diageo Plc to sell The Guinness Book of Records brand have shifted the focus of the books from text-oriented to illustrated reference. A selection of records are curated for the book from the full archive but all existing Guinness World Records titles can be accessed by creating
5544-401: The honor of naming the city. When Demens won the coin toss, the city was named after Saint Petersburg, Russia , where Peter Demens had spent half of his youth, while John C. Williams named the first hotel after his birthplace, Detroit (a hotel built by Demens). The Detroit Hotel still exists downtown on Central Ave, but has been turned into a condominium . The oldest operating hotels are
5643-511: The land to develop upscale properties in the 1900s, and helped create some of St. Petersburg's resorts such as the Vinoy Park Hotel and the St. Petersburg Woman's Club , both of which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The far north consists of the Gateway area which overlaps part of Pinellas Park, home to major employers such as Home Shopping Network and currently
5742-723: The largest cities in the U.S. The Vinoy Park Hotel has a bayfront location, a spot on the National Register of Historic Places , and an AAA Four-Diamond rating. It fronts Vinoy Park , which holds music festivals, including the Warped Tour . Nearby is the historic Tramor Cafeteria building, now part of the Tampa Bay Times . The city is connected via the Looper Trolley. Many dining and nightlife locations can be found downtown on or near Central Avenue extending to 34th Street in
5841-580: The last time a hurricane directly struck the city was in 1946 . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 258,308 people, 111,957 households, and 59,448 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 244,769 people, 106,755 households, and 58,353 families residing in the city. In 2010, of all Asian residents, 0.8% were Vietnamese , 0.5% were Filipino , 0.5% were Indian , 0.3% were Chinese , 0.1% were Korean , 0.1% were Japanese , and 1.0% were other Asians. Also in 2010, of all Hispanic or Latino people within
5940-543: The listings in the Guinness Book of World Records . A video game , Guinness World Records: The Videogame , was developed by TT Fusion and released for Nintendo DS , Wii and iOS in November 2008. In 2012, Warner Bros. announced the development of a live-action film version of Guinness World Records with Daniel Chun as scriptwriter. The film version will apparently use the heroic achievements of record holders as
6039-453: The longest egg tossing distances, or for longest time spent playing Grand Theft Auto IV or the largest number of hot dogs consumed in three minutes. Besides records about competitions, it contains such facts such as the heaviest tumour, the most poisonous fungus , the longest-running soap opera and the most valuable life-insurance policy, among others. Many records also relate to the youngest people to have achieved something, such as
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#17328546399556138-462: The main focus of his story, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow . Oliver asked Guinness to work with Last Week Tonight to adjudicate a record for "Largest cake featuring a picture of someone falling off a horse", but according to Oliver, the offer did not work out after Guinness insisted on a non-disparagement clause. Guinness World Records denied the accusations and stated that they declined Oliver's offer to participate because "it
6237-765: The managing director of the Guinness Breweries , went on a shooting party in the North Slob , by the River Slaney in County Wexford , Ireland. After missing a shot at a golden plover , he became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the red grouse (the plover is faster, but neither is the fastest game bird in Europe). That evening at Castlebridge House, he realised that it
6336-422: The most consecutive days of sunshine (768 days between 1967 and 1969), it is nicknamed "The Sunshine City." Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the average water temperature is typically around 76 °F (24 °C). Due to its good weather, the city has long been a popular retirement destination, although in recent years the population has moved in a much more youthful direction. When the Spanish first arrived in
6435-437: The new stadium, Major League Baseball gave St. Petersburg a franchise in 1995. In 1996, the dome was renamed a third time to Tropicana Field after naming rights were established with Tropicana Dole Beverages . The Tampa Bay Devil Rays was then established in 1998 after the stadium's renovation and the new team played their first game on March 31, 1998, giving the Tampa Bay area their first professional baseball team. I-275
6534-428: The older book to the "Modern Society" section of the newer edition. As of 2011 , it is required in the guidelines of all "large food" type records that the item be fully edible, and distributed to the public for consumption, to prevent food wastage. Chain letters are also not allowed: "Guinness World Records does not accept any records relating to chain letters, sent by post or e-mail." After Roger Guy English set
6633-423: The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge opened its first span to link St. Petersburg with Manatee County , connecting the next year to U.S. Route 19 in the city. With a large influx of car traffic, it was decided to remove the city's streetcar lines. From 1955 to 1959, Black residents led concerted swim-ins of the segregated Spa Beach & Spa pool. The St. Petersburg government continually fought this, closing
6732-497: The other side advocating for a long-term commitment to parks and public access to the waterfront. The public access and park contingent won the debate when, on Christmas Eve 1909, the city announced the acquisition of the waterfront land that is encompassed by the waterfront park system. The city is also becoming one of the largest destinations in Florida for kiteboarding with locations such as Fort De Soto Park , Pass-a-Grille , and Ten-Cent. The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club
6831-417: The pilot was Tony Jannus flying a Benoist XIV flying boat . The Tony Jannus Award is presented annually for outstanding achievement in the airline industry. St. Petersburg's first library opened on December 1, 1915, which still operates to this day as the Mirror Lake Library . The city and its tourism industry burgeoned in the 1920s, with up to a quarter million visitors annually coming from Canada,
6930-442: The port facilities through the 1910s. By then the city's population had quadrupled to a population of 4,127 citizens. F. A. Davis was instrumental to bringing the first trolley service in 1904. In 1914, Al Lang invited the St. Louis Browns to move their spring training into the city, then worked tirelessly to make Grapefruit League training in and around St. Petersburg the destination for baseball teams and their fans by
7029-496: The publisher to potential litigation . These changes included the removal of all spirit , wine and beer drinking records, along with other unusual records for consuming such unlikely things as bicycles and trees. Other records, such as sword swallowing and rally driving (on public roads), were closed from further entry as the current holders had performed beyond what are considered safe human tolerance levels. There have been instances of closed categories being reopened. For example,
7128-481: The record for sleeplessness in 1974, the category was discontinued for being too dangerous. At the request of the U.S. Mint , in 1984, the book stopped accepting claims of large hoardings of pennies or other currency. Environmentally unfriendly records (such as the releasing of sky lanterns and party balloons ) are no longer accepted or monitored, in addition to records relating to tobacco or cannabis consumption or preparation. In 2024, Guinness World Records
7227-512: The shores of Boca Ciega Bay at the Jungle Prada Site on April 14, 1528. It was the first inland exploration of North America. Of 300 men on the expedition only four survived. One of the survivors of the expedition, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca , wrote the first book describing the peoples, wildlife, flora and fauna of inland North America in his Relacion , published in Spain in 1542. The city
7326-526: The site of much construction of residential and business buildings and of new toll roads. The central portion of St. Petersburg includes the Grand Central District and Historic Kenwood . The Grand Central District houses many of the city's cafes, art galleries, restaurants, and bars all owing to the Craftsman style architecture. Historic Kenwood is filled with art studios and galleries similarly to
7425-503: The stadium was planned for 2012; however, the proposal was tabled indefinitely while a community-based organization investigates all alternatives for new stadium construction. In 2022, the Rays organization and the city came to an agreement over redevelopment; the Trop will be demolished by 2027, to be replaced by a new stadium and a restored Gas Plant neighborhood surrounding it. St. Petersburg has
7524-403: The sword swallowing category was listed as closed in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records , but has since been reopened with Johnny Strange breaking a sword swallowing record on Guinness World Records Live. Similarly, the speed beer drinking records which were dropped from the book in 1991, reappeared 17 years later in the 2008 edition, but were moved from the "Human Achievements" section of
7623-513: The team played its spring training games at nearby Progress Energy Park . This setup was unique, making St. Petersburg the first city that played host to its baseball team during spring training as well as the regular season since the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics . At the end of 2007, there was a debate over a new stadium to be built on the downtown waterfront at the current Progress Energy Park site. Tropicana Field would be demolished and replaced with prime residential and retail space. Completion of
7722-497: The third-largest dedicated public waterfront park system in North America, with a waterfront park system that stretches 7 miles (11 km) and is used year-round for public events, festivals and other activities. In the early 20th century, citizens and city leaders engaged in a long and boisterous debate over the future of the young city's waterfront space, with one side advocating for commercial, port and industrial development and
7821-423: The top of Ludgate House, 107 Fleet Street , London, the first 198-page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British bestseller list by Christmas. The following year, it was introduced into the United States by New York publisher David Boehm and sold 70,000 copies. Since then, Guinness World Records has sold more than 150 million copies in 100 countries and 40 languages. Because
7920-415: The well-being of potential record breakers. For example, following publication of the "heaviest pet" record, many owners overfed their pets beyond the bounds of what was healthy, and therefore such entries were removed. The Guinness Book also dropped records within their "eating and drinking records" section of Human Achievements in 1991 over concerns that potential competitors could harm themselves and expose
8019-474: The west or Beach Drive along the waterfront. Venues include Jannus Live and the State Theatre . The active nightlife scene is credited to recent demographic and regulatory changes. In 2010, the city council voted to extend bar hours until 3 A.M., identical to cross-bay "rival" Tampa. Tropicana Field , home of Major League Baseball 's Tampa Bay Rays , is located in the western part of downtown. Until 2008,
8118-548: The winter months. Tourism declined by the late 1920s and early 1930s due to the Great Depression . The city recovered later in the 1930s with the help of the Public Works Administration , including a $ 10 million investment plan in 1939 which helped build the St. Petersburg City Hall. The second World War brought renewed growth, as the city's Bayboro Harbor became a training base for the U.S. Coast Guard and
8217-616: The year. Goaltender Billy Yeo was named a first team all-star. The Suns affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings for the 1972–73 season. The Suns won 30 games in the regular season, finished third place in the southern division, and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Roanoke Valley Rebels in five games. In May 1973, the Suns and other southern division teams withdrew from the Eastern Hockey League and founded
8316-419: The youngest person to visit all nations of the world, currently held by Maurizio Giuliano . Each edition contains a selection of the records from the Guinness World Records database, as well as select new records, with the criteria for inclusion changing from year to year. The latest edition is the 70th, published on 15 September 2023. It is the fourth and last installment featuring Rod Hunt's illustrations on
8415-477: Was 2.19. In 2010, families made up 54.3% while non-families made up 45.7%; the average family size was 2.88. The median age of the city was 41.6 years. As of 2000, 23.85% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.295% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no adult living partner present, and 43.8% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who
8514-656: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.865. In 2000, the city's population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.24 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. Guinness World Records Guinness World Records , known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records ,
8613-441: Was a 173% increase over the previous year. In February 2008, NBC aired The Top 100 Guinness World Records of All Time and Guinness World Records made the complete list available on their website. The popularity of the franchise has resulted in Guinness World Records becoming the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records. For many records, Guinness World Records
8712-408: Was a music reference book first published in 1977. It was compiled by BBC Radio 1 DJs Paul Gambaccini and Mike Read with brothers Tim Rice and Jonathan Rice. It was the first in a number of music reference books that were to be published by Guinness Publishing with sister publication The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums coming in 1983. After being sold to Hit Entertainment, the data concerning
8811-573: Was accused of laundering the reputation of the oppressive governments as it set world records for the UAE's police forces and Egypt's military. By 2024, the UAE achieved 526 records, of which 21 were credited to the Emirates' police force. Matthew Hedges, a British academic who was forced to sign a false confession, asked the records body to take down the Abu Dhabi police department's certificate for "most signatures on
8910-508: Was built in the 1970s which flows 37 million gallons of water per day to provide for customers located throughout the city. From May to August 1968, 211 city's sanitation workers struck in the city for higher wages. The strike began approximately one month after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee while supporting that city's sanitation workers strike. In 1984 ,
9009-592: Was called Norris on the Spot . Norris carried on as the book's sole editor. Guinness Superlatives, later Guinness World Records Limited , was incorporated in London in 1954 to publish the first book. Sterling Publishing owned the rights to the Guinness book in the US for decades until it was repurchased by Guinness in 1989 after an 18-month long lawsuit. The group was owned by Guinness PLC and subsequently Diageo until 2001, when it
9108-465: Was co-founded by John C. Williams , formerly of Detroit , who purchased the land in 1875, and by Peter Demens , who was instrumental in bringing the terminus of the Orange Belt Railway there in 1888. St. Petersburg was incorporated as a town on February 29, 1892, when it had a population of 300 people. Local lore claims John C. Williams and Peter Demens flipped a coin to see who would have
9207-456: Was designed by Mayor C.J. Maurer along with a committee of other public officials. It featured an array of colors symbolic of St. Pete's culture including the sunshine, water and land. The idea came after officials called for a new logo which later became the design for the flag. The pelican featured in the center became a symbol for the "Feed the Pelican Fund" which has supported the birds during
9306-499: Was established in 1924 and gained attention as the "World's Largest Shuffleboard Club" with 110 courts and over 5,000 members in the 1950s and 1960s. Northshore Aquatic Complex is a public pool and small water park located downtown on the St. Petersburg waterfront. Northshore contains a 50-meter pool with diving board, 25 meter training pool with zero depth entry, a play pool, and is home to both Saint Petersburg Aquatics swim club and Saint Petersburg Masters swim club. St. Petersburg
9405-416: Was expanded across the bay from Tampa through St. Petersburg in the 1970s. Additional spurs I-175 and I-375 were built afterward, extending from the main highway to the northern and southern edges of the downtown area. The city population continued to multiply during the 20th century, booming through the 1970s as a popular retirement destination for Americans from midwestern cities, reaching 238,647 in
9504-549: Was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird. Beaver knew that there must have been numerous other questions debated nightly among the public, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove successful. Beaver's idea became reality when Guinness employee Christopher Chataway recommended university friends Norris and Ross McWhirter , who had been running
9603-473: Was listed as the "most prolific serial killer", having murdered at least 110 people (with Lopez himself claiming he murdered over 300 people) in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the late 1960s to 1980s. This was removed after complaints that the listing and category made a competition out of murder. Several world records that were once included in the book have been removed for ethical reasons, including concerns for
9702-564: Was merely an opportunity to mock one of our record-holders," and that Oliver did not specifically request the record for the largest marble cake. As of 2021, the Guinness World Record for "Largest marble cake" remains with Betty Crocker Middle East in Saudi Arabia. Following Oliver's episode, Guinness World Records ' ethics were called into question by human rights groups. In 1976, a Guinness Book of World Records museum opened in
9801-857: Was purchased by Gullane Entertainment for £45.5 million ($ 65 million). Gullane was itself purchased by HIT Entertainment in 2002. In 2006, Apax Partners purchased HIT and subsequently sold Guinness World Records in early 2008 to the Jim Pattison Group , the parent company of Ripley Entertainment , which is licensed to operate Guinness World Records' Attractions. With offices in New York City and Tokyo, Guinness World Records' global headquarters remain in London, specifically South Quay Plaza , Canary Wharf , while its museum attractions are based at Ripley headquarters in Orlando , Florida. Recent editions have focused on record feats by individuals. Competitions range from obvious ones such as Olympic weightlifting to
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