Back before Google and smartphones, people couldn’t settle an argument in a matter of seconds. They had to actually know stuff. Or find a book, made out of paper, with information in it. Weird. And one place where arguments over silly, mostly inconsequential tidbits get started is the bar — or as the brewers of Guinness call it, the pub.

What started as an almanac of factoids meant to settle whatever disputes may arise over a few pints of ale has come to be a global sensation. As History.com notes, the Guinness World Records book was first published on August 27, 1955, and was originally offered free of charge in pubs as promotional material for Guinness beer. The book became such a popular item in its own right, however, that Guinness saw an opportunity and soon began charging for it. It quickly shot to the top of the bestsellers lists. According to the Guinness World Records official timeline, it sold out four reprints in its first year of publication, and over a million copies flew off the shelves in less than a decade. By 2019, the brand had sold over 143 million books. And it all started as an trivial argument at a friendly bird hunt, or shooting party, as they say across the pond.

The first Guinness World Record was about a bird

Shutterstock