Fingers World Records

Akula Ganga Hema Sathvik typed the English alphabet in 2.378 seconds using only two fingers, sitting cross-legged with a laptop in Guntur, India. The over-the-shoulder clip is one continuous five-second take: the remaining fingers hover above the keyboard while two fingers peck out A to Z on Type The Alphabet, an online typing game whose timer starts with the first keystroke. The on-screen clock runs in step with the video and stops on a personal-best screen reading 2.378s. Two fingers, twenty-six letters, and the clock barely got going.

Antonio Shin, a 12-year-old from Suwon, South Korea, drummed two fingers on the lap button of an Android tablet's stopwatch and logged 172 laps in 15 seconds. The video starts with the stopwatch at zero and shows lap 172 recorded at 14.89 seconds, with the next lap landing just after the 15-second mark at 15.08. The stopwatch's own time-stamped lap list does the counting, so every press can be checked on screen. That is better than 11 taps a second.

Antonio Shin, a 12-year-old from Suwon, South Korea, drummed two fingers on the lap button of an Android tablet's stopwatch and logged 115 laps in 10 seconds. Filmed from above his desk, the video opens with the stopwatch at zero and shows lap 115 landing at 9.96 seconds, with lap 116 just past the cutoff at 10.04. The stopwatch's own time-stamped lap list does the counting, so every press can be checked on screen. That pace is better than 11 taps a second.

Yanhao Deng of Chenzhou, Hunan, held a bundle of 7 orange pencils lengthwise between the tips of two index fingers, one on each end, with the rest of both hands curled clear. In one unedited phone clip filmed in a bedroom, Yanhao first turns the bundle end-on to the camera so all seven pencil ends show, then pinches it between the two fingertips and keeps it level for more than three seconds before the first pencil slips loose. RecordSetter counted the pencil ends in that opening view and checked the hold frame by frame. Two fingertips, seven pencils, nothing else touching.

Yanhao Deng and Jingxiang Lei of Chenzhou, Hunan, held a bundle of 7 yellow pencils lengthwise between two thumbtips, one from each of them. In one continuous phone clip filmed in their classroom, Yanhao first turns the bundle end-on to the camera so all seven pencil ends show, then the pair press it end to end between their thumbs and keep it level for more than three seconds while the camera swings over to Jingxiang. RecordSetter counted the pencil ends in that opening view and checked frame by frame that only the two thumbs touch the bundle during the hold. Two people, two thumbs, and not a pencil out of line.

Antonio Shin of Suwon, South Korea kept two fingers drumming on the lap button of an Android tablet's stopwatch for a full minute and logged 577 laps. Filmed from above his desk in one continuous take, the video starts with the stopwatch at zero, and the stopwatch's own time-stamped lap list puts lap 577 at 59.97 seconds, with lap 578 just past the cutoff at 1:00.08. That is close to 10 presses a second, held for 60 seconds straight.

Antonio Shin of Suwon, South Korea drummed two fingers on the lap button of an Android tablet's stopwatch for 30 seconds and logged 282 laps. Filmed from above his desk in one continuous take, the video starts with the stopwatch at zero, and the stopwatch's own time-stamped lap list puts lap 282 at 29.94 seconds, with lap 283 just past the cutoff at 30.04. That is more than nine presses a second, kept up for half a minute.

Antonio Shin of Suwon, South Korea drummed two fingers on the lap button of an Android tablet's stopwatch for five seconds and logged 52 laps. Filmed from above his desk in one continuous take, the video starts with the stopwatch at zero, and the stopwatch's own time-stamped lap list puts lap 52 at 4.98 seconds, with lap 53 just past the cutoff at 5.10. That works out to more than ten presses a second, a flat-out sprint from the very first tap.

Yanhao Deng and Pinjie He of Chenzhou, Hunan, held a stack of 34 round crackers in midair between two fingertips, one from each of them. After showing the stack to the camera in their classroom, they turn it on its side and press it end to end between their index fingers, and a free hand waves above it for about two seconds to show nothing else is holding it up. RecordSetter checked the count of 34 against the ridged edges of the stack in the opening close-up. Thirty-four crackers, two people, one finger each.

Yanhao Deng of Chenzhou, Hunan, held 30 pencils wedged between the index and middle fingers of one hand, with the thumb spread well clear of the bundle. In one unedited phone clip filmed in a bedroom, Yanhao packs the round bundle of orange, yellow, white and teal pencils into the gap between two fingers, takes the other hand away, and turns the open palm to the camera so the flat pencil ends face the lens. RecordSetter counted the pencil ends in that end-on view, and the bundle is consistent with the claimed 30. That is most of a pencil case parked in one finger gap.

Fourteen-year-old Piyush Rawat sets up in a wide-stance plank on a dirt yard, plants two fingertips of one hand, and tucks his free hand behind his back. He lowers until his chest nearly brushes the ground and presses back to a straight arm seven times without a break. Each rep was counted from his continuous phone video. Seven reps on two fingertips is a serious grip test at any age.

Cracka Dawn pushed the limits of open mouthdom by fitting parts of 30 fingers into her mouth at once. The record was set on Friday, August 29, 2008 at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada. Yasuyuki Tsumashika, an Executive Committee member from the Playa Book of Records, videotaped and witnessed the feat. #BM2008

Sparks displays tremendous agility and creativity by using just her hands to create seven distinctly different animal characters. The record was set on August 30, 2008 at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada. Dan Rollman witnessed and videotaped the attempt. #BM2008

Putting potential concern for his life aside, Vince Veneziani made history by throwing 13 different gang signs in one minute, a new world record. Signs thrown included “Blood”, “Crips”, and “Mafia”. The feat was achieved at a World Record Appreciation Society event in New York City on February 11, 2009. Dan Rollman was on hand to document and count the signs. Though dressed in blue from head to toe, Veneziani swears he has no gang allegiances. #WRAS03

Emma S. twisted all her fingers over one another in 2.80 seconds.

Read about the Kennedy half dollar here.