14 World Records Broken by Accident
When we think of world records, we often imagine dedicated athletes training for years or specialists honing their craft to perfection. But sometimes, history’s most impressive achievements happen completely by chance.
These accidental record-breakers weren’t aiming for glory—they were just going about their day when extraordinary circumstances led to unexpected fame. Here is a list of 14 world records that were broken entirely by accident, proving that sometimes the most remarkable achievements come when we least expect them.
Fastest Marathon in a Suit
Businessman Paul Buchanan never intended to break a world record when he showed up to the London Marathon in 2018. After a charity fundraising commitment, he found himself running 26.2 miles in his full business suit and dress shoes.
His time of 2 hours and 56 minutes accidentally broke the Guinness World Record for ‘fastest marathon in a suit.’ Paul had no idea the record even existed until fellow runners informed him after he crossed the finish line.
Largest Natural Snowflake
Matt Coleman, a rancher near Fort Keogh, Montana, was just going about his daily business in 1887 when he saw something remarkable descend from the sky. He accidentally set a record for the largest snowflake ever spotted when he noticed one that was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick.
This enormous ice crystal was ‘bigger than milk pans’, according to historical meteorological records. Coleman was simply amazed by what nature had produced; he had no intention of making meteorological history.
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Longest Time Trapped in an Elevator
Nicholas White stepped into an elevator in a New York skyscraper one Friday evening in 1999 for what should have been a quick break outside. The elevator malfunctioned between floors, and White became trapped for an astounding 41 hours before being rescued.
Security cameras captured his entire ordeal as he paced the small space, tried to sleep on the floor, and eventually resorted to using the elevator as a bathroom. White never intended to set this unfortunate record—just to take a quick break from work.
Oldest Message in a Bottle
When Tonya Illman noticed something strange in the sand in 2018, she was just strolling along a Western Australian beach. She uncovered a gin bottle with a message dated June 12, 1886, which, at 131 years old, is the oldest verifiable message in a bottle ever found.
In order to track ocean currents, the bottle was thrown from a German ship as part of an oceanographic experiment. During her casual beach walk, Tonya chance to notice something glinting in the sand, but she wasn’t looking for historic treasures.
Highest Fall Survived Without a Parachute
Flight attendant Vesna Vulović was just doing her job on a regular flight in 1972 when disaster struck. The aircraft she was working on exploded mid-flight over Czechoslovakia, and Vulović fell approximately 33,330 feet without a parachute.
Miraculously, she survived the fall, though she suffered serious injuries including a fractured skull and broken vertebrae. She spent months in a coma followed by a lengthy recovery, accidentally setting a record no one would ever want to break.
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Longest Fingernails
Shridhar Chillal from India began growing the nails on his left hand in 1952 after being scolded by a teacher for breaking the teacher’s nail. What started as a teenage rebellion turned into an unintentional world record when his nails reached a combined length of 29 feet, 10.1 inches in 2018.
Chillal maintained these nails for 66 years before finally having them cut and displayed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum. He never set out to break a record—he was simply proving a point that eventually got out of hand.
Longest Wedding Veil
Maria Paraskeva was planning a beautiful wedding in Cyprus when she decided to wear an impressive veil. She didn’t set out to break any records, but her 22,843-foot long veil ended up being recognized as the world’s longest bridal veil by Guinness World Records in 2018.
The veil was so long it required a team of assistants to carry it, and it stretched for over four miles. Maria simply wanted a memorable wedding detail, not a place in the record books.
Most Expensive Cheese Sandwich
In 2007, chef Martin Blunos created what he thought was simply an extravagant cheese sandwich for a food festival. Using cheddar blended with white truffle and gold dust, served on sourdough bread dressed with truffle oil, the sandwich was valued at approximately $184.
To Blunos’s surprise, his culinary creation was verified as the world’s most expensive cheese sandwich. He wasn’t attempting to set a record—just showcasing his culinary creativity with premium ingredients.
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Longest Ear Hair
Anthonya Thomas wasn’t trying to grow impressive ear hair when he discovered he had set an unusual world record. His ear hair, growing from the center of his outer ears, reached a length of 7.12 inches at its peak, earning him the title for the world’s longest ear hair.
Thomas simply let nature take its course, never trimming or styling the hair for any record attempt. The growth was completely natural and unintentional, making this perhaps one of the most effortlessly achieved world records.
Deepest Living Fish
Researchers aboard the Hadal Lander weren’t specifically looking to discover the world’s deepest-living fish when they deployed their equipment in the Mariana Trench in 2014. Their cameras captured a snailfish swimming at a depth of 26,722 feet below sea level, setting a new record for the deepest-living fish ever observed.
The previous record had been set just weeks earlier at 26,246 feet. The scientists were simply conducting oceanic research when they accidentally made this remarkable discovery about the limits of vertebrate life.
Largest Hailstone
Residents of Vivian, South Dakota were just trying to stay safe during a severe thunderstorm on July 23, 2010. After the storm passed, ranch hand Leslie Scott discovered an enormous hailstone in his yard measuring 8 inches in diameter and weighing nearly 2 pounds.
Scott initially placed it in his freezer to preserve it, not realizing he had found what would become the officially recognized largest hailstone in U.S. history. His quick thinking to preserve the ice chunk allowed for official measurement and verification.
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Longest Human Domino Chain
In 2016, a group of 2,465 students in Delhi, India gathered for what they thought was simply a school yoga session. When instructed to lie down and gently tap the person next to them, they inadvertently created the longest human domino chain ever recorded.
The students had no idea they were participating in a record attempt until afterward when school officials announced their achievement. Their synchronized toppling pattern took over 14 minutes to complete from first to last student.
Oldest Person to Discover a Comet
In 1997, amateur astronomer William Bradfield was simply enjoying his hobby of stargazing from his backyard in Australia. At the age of 74, he spotted a previously unidentified comet, which was subsequently named Comet Bradfield in his honor.
This discovery made him the oldest person to ever discover a comet. Bradfield wasn’t trying to set an age-related record—he was just passionate about astronomy and happened to be looking in the right place at the right time.
World’s Loudest Burp
Paul Hunn was simply enjoying lunch with friends in London when he let out what would become the world’s loudest burp. His casual after-meal belch registered at an astonishing 109.9 decibels—louder than a motorcycle engine.
Hunn’s friends convinced him to get it officially measured, and to his surprise, it set a Guinness World Record. He wasn’t practicing or preparing for this sound—it was just a spontaneous bodily function that happened to be extraordinarily powerful.
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Extraordinary Achievements in Ordinary Moments
These accidental world record breakers remind us that historic moments don’t always announce themselves in advance. Sometimes they arrive disguised as ordinary days, chance encounters, or even unfortunate accidents.
While most record attempts involve careful planning and dedicated training, these unexpected achievements prove that sometimes greatness finds us when we’re not even looking for it. Perhaps there’s something comforting about knowing that any day could potentially be the day you stumble into the history books—whether you’re taking a beach walk, riding an elevator, or simply looking up at the stars.
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