LA County Residents Win Guinness World Records In 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA — It's time once again to see which crazy Los Angeles area residents earned Guinness World Records in 2020. What do you think of when you have to stay home for several months? Perhaps the most toilet paper hoarded in a single household? Or how about the person who has sneezed the most, or the least, in an entire year?

The Guinness World Records remains the gold standard for measuring feats of strength, endurance, and the out of this world odd.

In 2020, Guinness World Records were held or were broken by Californians, according to the Guinness World Records. Here are some of California's new additions that made this coronavirus shutdown year a little bit more bearable.

In Los Angeles, the county with the most record breakers of the year, we saw records broken in Chatsworth, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Victorville, and Westlake Village.

• The Record for Most Hits of a Tyre with a Sledgehammer in One Minute: Ronald Sarchian in Chatsworth, California.

Sarchian struck that tractor tire with a 34" long, 9-pound sledgehammer using both hands with a complete rotation, up and over the head. He first broke the record in 2018, when he struck the tire 78 times in one minute. In 2020, he struck the tire 103 times, breaking his own record. Sarchian, the holder of multiple Guinness World Record titles, also achieved an award for crushing over 104 eggs with a single kick and stacking cornhole bags within 30 seconds in May, and smashing the most number of watermelons in one minute (70) which he achieved in August.

• The World's Record For Most T-Shirts Worn and Torn in One Minute: David Rush in Pasadena, California.

Rush put on and tore off a total of 29 shirts on March 2. He was one of the last live contestants of America's Got Talent when he set the record while appearing on national television. He invited the show's host, Terry Crews, to try the same feat. Crews did not tear as many shirts, or win the award, and Rush was asked to return later in the show.

• Record For Most Decades In Which To Receive an Oscar Nomination of a Living Person: John Williams, Los Angeles, California.

Legendary Hollywood composer John Williams has been nominated for an Oscar across seven decades, a new Guinness Record. He achieved that when nominated for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" on January 13.

Williams was first nominated for "Valley of the Dolls" in 1968. Since then, he has created iconic scores for films such as "Jaws," the "Star Wars" franchise of movies, and "Harry Potter."

• The World's Record For Most Between The Leg Figure Eights With A Soccer Ball In 30 Seconds: Tasha-Nicole Terani, Westlake Village, California.

How do you spend a pandemic? Practicing with your soccer ball. Terani holds records for the most football touches in one minute (female) and the most football touches in 30 seconds (female). Her record for figure eights in 30 seconds is nine total, which she achieved in May of 2020. Her goal is to "encourage others to give life their very best, regardless of circumstances."

• World Record For Most Grammy Awards Won By A Married Couple: Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Los Angeles, California.

The star-studded duo achieved their momentous occasion at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in January 2020. Beyoncé, who holds the record for most Grammy nominations for a female artist, earned her 24th Grammy Award for Best Music in the film Homecoming, while Jay-Z won his 22nd Grammy Award the year before for the studio album "Everything is Love." Dare we say, 46 and counting?

• Record ForSmallest Handmade Chess Set: Ara Davidi Ghazaryan, Los Angeles.

Who didn't watch "The Queen's Gambit" during the coronavirus shutdown? Chess is all the rage in 2020, and Ghazaryan, an Armenian American artist who makes jewelry, challenged himself to beat his own record. On August 22, 2020, he completed the itty bitty chess set that measures 8 x 8 millimeters. The figures are between 1 millimeter for pawns, and 2.4 millimeters for the kings, according to Guinness.

• Record for Largest Marriage Vow Renewal Ceremony Across Multiple Venues: Princess Cruises, Los Angeles & Fort Lauderdale

1,443 pairs of happily married couples said "I Do" all over again in 2020. It was February 11, just a month before coronavirus stopped all cruise ships from sailing. Still, three Princess Cruise Ships carried the happy couples on the Royal, Regal and Crown Princess Cruise Ships for the massive vow renewals.

• Record For Longest Airplane Wheelie (Distance): Christopher Freeze, Victorville

It was an accidental record for Freeze, who was looking to do "something notable and different, but within aviation, Guinness reports. Still, he achieved the wheelie record of 14,319.5 feet in Victorville on Valentine's day, 202o.

• Record ForThe Most Expensive Guitar Sold At Auction: Kurt Cobain's 1959 Martin D-18E, Hollywood

Cobain's guitar was purchased at auction by Peter Freedman of Australia for over $6 million in June. Cobain played the guitar on his MTV Unplugged album recorded live in 1993.

• World Record For Longest Rap Marathon (individual): Watsky (George Watsky), Los Angeles

Yes, this award screams at home in a pandemic. Watsky broke the longest rap marathon record rapping for a solid 33 hours, 33 minutes and 19 seconds, according to Guinness. Watsky broke the record as a result of his canceled spring concert tour. He hoped to raise money to support his band, crew, fans, and musicians, working with Sweet Relief charity.

• Record For Longest Music Video: Twenty One Pilots, Los Angeles, California.

It seemed fitting to end our 20 top Guinness World Records broken in the longest year in history with the longest music video in history. Twenty One Pilots live-streamed their video from June 21 to December 16, according to the Guinness site.

The video, for the song "Level of Concern" was live-streamed on Youtube, and is comprised of video submissions from fans, they say. The lyrics are fitting for the year we've had:

"panic on the brain, world has gone insane, things are starting to get heavy."

Of the video project, that lasted for 178 days, the band said "we thought it was never going to end."

Read the full list of Californians who conquered the Guinness Book Of World Records in 2020 on Patch.