Celebrate 60 years of Guinness World Records with 10 of UPI's favorites

"It was quite a challenge," Marmion said. The planning and the pre-planning and the testing were probably the biggest part. Assembling it and really getting it together today was really kind of easy. We ran through that a couple of times, so we were pretty confident.

We did it! 123 lbs! A @GWR for biggest #pierogi! Celebrate and sample now!

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler pic.twitter.com/eS9dQ1KSwi— Rivers Casino (@WinBigRivers) October 8, 2014

7. Hoop dreams become hoop reality

An Australian trick shot team broke its own Guinness World Record by throwing a basketball from the top of a dam to a hoop 415 feet below.

The How Ridiculous team, who set the world record for highest basketball shot in 2011 by dropping a ball from 220 feet up and added 80 feet to the record two days later, took their ball and hoop to the Gordon Dam in Tasmania for their latest attempt.

The result, which was featured on a Sunday night TV special, was certified as a new world record by Guinness.

8. The purr-fect level of volume

Torquay, England resident Tracy Westwood's cacophonous cat, Merlin, became a minor Internet star in 2013 when she posted a YouTube video of his thunderous purring, and Guinness World Records confirmed this year the cat's purr was measured at 67.8 decibels, beating the 2011 record of 67.68 decibels set by a cat named Smokey.

Guinness, which measured Merlin's purr as part of filming for an episode of British TV special Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 2, said the purr is comparable to the sound from an air conditioner and nearly as loud as a dishwasher.

"Occasionally when he's really loud I have to repeat myself. When you're watching films you have to turn the telly up or put him out of the room, if he's eating he'll purr loudly. I can hear him when I'm drying my hair," Westwood said.

9. Gimel a record for Hanukkah

Nearly 800 people gathered in Israel to break the Guinness World Record for most dreidels spinning simultaneously.

The group, which included Member of Knesset Tzipi Livni, the country's former justice minister, attempted to spin about 1,000 of the traditional Hanukkah tops at Tel Aviv's Sarona shopping center and a total 754 dreidels kept spinning for the required 10 seconds.

Guinness World Records officials were on hand to verify the spinning dreidels outnumbered the 734 set in motion by a United Synagogue Youth group in Philadelphia in 2011.

ציפי הלכה להראות לילדים איך מסובבים סביבונים - ומסתובבים בין מפלגות pic.twitter.com/3te2cKGB5d— Mor Levy (@morlev9) December 21, 2014

10. Guinness-ception

What's the best thing that could happen to a collector of Guinness Books of World Records? Making it into the Guinness Book of World Records!

Martyn Tovey, 57, of Somerset, England, said his Guinness collection started in 1968 when he won a Book of World Records as a prize at school and he has been receiving annual editions of the book from his mother every Christmas since 1971.

Tovey said he managed to track down earlier editions and has also added numerous special editions including rare first editions signed by co-founders Norris and Ross McWhirter.

The 353 editions earned Tovey the record for Largest Collection of Guinness World Records Annuals, and his 2,164-strong collection of Guinness promotional items earned him a second record for Largest Collection of Guinness World Records Memorabilia.

Tovey said his collection includes board games, spoons and engraved glasses.

"It has taken many years -- and a great deal of effort -- to put my collection together, and to be recognized by Guinness World Records in this way is absolutely fantastic," Tovey said.

Guinness officials said Tovey's expertise has proven valuable as the record-keeping organization prepares for its 60th anniversary.

"We've been monitoring record-breaking collections for years, and we cover everything from airline boarding passes to zebras. But it wasn't until this year, when we met Martyn, that we realized we should open a category for the largest collection of Guinness World Records books," said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of the Guinness book. Such is Martin's dedication to documenting our history that his incredible collection outstrips even the archive here at Guinness World Records!