A US shallow diver has broken his own world record by making a death-defying 11m jump into just 30cm of water. Darren Taylor, aka Professor Splash, jumped from a platform into a paddling pool in front of a mesmerised crowd in Trondheim, Norway. The daredevil jumped into near-freezing water because he believes it is safer.

He also used a special belly-flop technique to lessen the impact the fall had on his body. The pool was not inflated — that would have broken Guinness World Record rules — although Mr Taylor did use a couple of a foam mats underneath. He was able to climb to his feet and bound out of the pool immediately after landing.

“I’m very proud of myself,” he said. “I’m gonna go cry.” The jump marks the 13th Guinness-certified world record Mr Taylor has achieved for shallow diving.

The Colorado-born diver claims to have broken world records in Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany and the US. He has been performing as a shallow diver for 25 years. Mr Taylor has warned fans not to attempt shallow diving stunts at home.

Janet Esteves has proved to the whole world that she is the biggest Mickey Mouse fan, by putting together the world’s largest collection of Mickey Mouse memorabilia.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Janet has turned her home into a virtual museum dedicated to Disney’s adorable character, featuring well over 2,500 items. She has everything from Mickey Mouse plush toys, snow globes, keychains and , all carefully organized and put on display around the house.

Janet Esteves first started collecting Mickey Mouse stuff in the early ’70s, when she and her husband visited Disneyland, on their honeymoon. She bought her first Mickey Mouse toys that time, but the collection really blossomed when her daughter was born, in 1978.

She kept buying new Mickey stuff for her, until she realized she had made a goal of collecting memorabilia. Now, Janet has grandchildren, and they love Mickey Mouse too, so the collection keeps growing with each passing day.

As of December 2008, Janet Esteves’ impressive collection featured 2,760 different Mickey Mouse items, and it’s just going to get bigger.

With nine educational diplomas under his belt, Zhou Baokuan can definitely claim the title of “smartest man in China.”

When it comes to education, we all want the best for our kids, but I think Zhou Baokuan’s parents might have pushed him a little to far, when he was a child. I mean, the man started studying and even though he is now 53 years old, he has no intention of stopping.

In recognition of his incredible desire to study, an organization known as China World Records Association decided to award Zhou the title of “man with most diplomas in the world.”

Over the course of 35 years of intense studying (sometimes without sleep) the man earned a total of nine diplomas, including three doctoral diplomas and two masters degrees. Zhou, a resident of Shenyang City, admits it wasn’t easy getting this many diplomas, and reckons he spent around 126,500 hours studying for them.

Believe it or not, Zhou Baokuan is currently studying to get his fourth doctoral degree, at Fudan University.

Guinness World Records officials have come to Turkey to evaluate a woman’s claim to be the world’s smallest person – an assertion that could make the country home to both the tallest and smallest record holders.

Record adjudicator Kelly Garrett traveled to the Kadirli district of the Mediterranean province of Osmaniye after hearing about Turkish newspapers’ reports on local resident Hatice Kocaman, 21, who is just 72.5 centimeters tall and weighs only seven kilograms.

Garrett and Emin Görgün, the Turkey brand manager for Guinness World Records, visited Kocaman and her parents, ?brahim and Hatun Kocaman, initiating the process of registering her claim.

Görgün said many applications are made to Guinness World Records and that they are all evaluated carefully.

The “world’s smallest person” record previously belonged to He Pingping from China, who was 74.61 centimeters tall when he died in March at the age of 21. Before his death, he appeared at events in Turkey with Sultan Köse, the Turkish man who is the tallest person in the world at two meters, 46.5 centimeters tall.

Kocaman, who cannot grow further due to a bone disorder, said it would be great to be in Guinness World Records and that she wants everyone to know her and talk about her.

Kadirli district official Orhan Aktürk, who hosted the Guinness officials, said he supports Kocaman and her family.

Garrett will announce the results of her evaluation of Kocaman’s claim soon.

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Ted Reader, one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the world, has prepared a giant hamburger, in an attempt to put his name in the Guinness Book of Records.

The cooking process of the world’s biggest hamburger began at 4 am, on Thursday, when a giant beef patty was placed on a custom barbecue, to slow cook. The burger was unveiled at noon, and it caught the eye of dozens of Toronto passers-by. It was topped off with all the fixings you’d find in an average burger, including lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and barbecue sauce.

The 590 lbs-heavy burger was made with 300 pounds of meat, which makes it three times as heavy as the current record holder. Guinness is yet to acknowledge Ted Reader’s record, but it’s only a matter of time.

The making of the world’s biggest hamburger is part of a marketing tour to promote Ted Reader’s latest cook book, Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Burgers. It contains 110 different burger recipes.

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