Explore Business Standard
Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world's oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116. Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on December 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavoured Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group. When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, Thank you. When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor. Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school, and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the 3,067-metre (10,062-foot) Mount Ontake twice. She married at 20, and had two ..
The world's oldest dog recently celebrated his 31st birthday, according to Guinness World Records. Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog, celebrated during a party Saturday at his home in the Portuguese village of Conqueiros, where has lived his entire life. More than 100 people attended the very traditional Portuguese party, owner Leonel Costa said. Local meats and fish were served to up to 100 guests, with extra for Bobi, who only eats human food. A dance troupe also performed with Bobi participating in one of their routines. Costa has owned several old-age dogs in the past, including Bobi's mother, Gira, who lived to age 18. However, Costa said he never imagined any of his dogs would reach their 30s. We see situations like this as a normal result of the life that they have, but Bobi is one of a kind, Costa said. One of the biggest contributing factors to Bobi's longevity is the calm, peaceful environment in which he lives, according to Costa. Through
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness 11,140 dancers and drummers performing on Bihu in Guwahati to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest recital of the folk dance form. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Modi will be present at the state government event on April 14, mainly initiated to popularise Bihu at the international level. "We will also invite all the governors and chief ministers of India. Our ministers will travel to the states from March 20 to 30 to invite them," he added. Besides, all the ambassadors and high commissioners of the G20 countries and South-East Asian nations in India will be extended invitations to witness the spectacular programme, Sarma said. "In total, 11,140 dancers and drummers will take part. The ratio of boys and girls will be 30:70. There will be participants from each district of Assam," he said. The chief minister said that the government has already sent a sample vi
Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district entered the Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday as over 2,000 helmets were arranged for a formation, creating the phrase 'Jai Hind', to highlight the importance of road safety. A total of 2,350 helmets were used to form the phrase at the Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso high-altitude stadium in the border district. Chief Minister Pema Khandu blew the whistle to start the proceedings of the helmet formation. By 8 am, it was complete with Khandu leading a group of participants to create the formation. The event, titled 'Lakshya', aiming to create awareness on road safety by making the world record was organised by Amazing Namaste Foundation in collaboration with the state government. Khandu received the certificate of confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records representative Swapnil Dangorikar. "People, especially youths riding bikes, tend to drive faster and faster on good roads. It has been found that speeding is the major cause of acciden
Thousands of Venezuelan musicians, most of them children and adolescents, have earned the title of the world's largest orchestra. The record was set by 8,573 musicians. Guinness World Records in a video released Saturday announced that the musicians, all connected to the country's network of youth orchestras, earned the designation with a performance a week earlier of Tchaikovsky's Slavonic March". The musicians, ranging in age from 12 to 77, attempted the record during a patriotic concert at a military academy in the capital of Caracas. To set the record, more than 8,097 had to be tallied playing at the same time during a five-minute period of Tchaikovsky's piece. The network of orchestras known as El Sistema, or The System, assembled some 12,000 musicians for the concert. The repertoire included Venezuela by Pablo Herrero and Jose Luis Armenteros, the South American country's national anthem and Pedro Gutierrez's Alma Llanera, which Venezuelans consider their unofficial anthem.