Musical Chairs on Collins Circle Guinness World Record Day April 1985

The first Guinness World Record Day was held on April 20, 1985 in response to the charge that UAlbany was the "most apathetic" school in the country. To prove this wrong, students organized the Largest Game of Musical Chairs on Collins Circle and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records with a record to beat of 5,060 participants! Clearly no apathy here!

The following year UAlbany attempted and broke the world record for the Largest Game of Twister with 4,064 participants. Since then other records have been attempted, but not broken (see timeline below).

April 25, 1987
Challenge - Largest Game of Simon Sez
Outcome - Not enough participants to break world record.
University tries for world record for Simon Sez with 3,990 participants in the game held on Collins Circle. The winner was Albany High School senior Nick Sinkevich.

October 1, 1988
Challenge - Largest Game of Musical Chairs
Outcome - Not enough participants to break world record.
Attempt to recapture musical chairs record fails, even though 2,000 participated on Collins Circle. Adam Lustig, a 1987 graduate won the contest.

April 28, 1990
Challenge - Largest Limbo Contest
Outcome - Not enough participants to break world record.
Sophomore John Casall won the contest.

October 6, 1990
Challenge - Largest game of Simon Sez
Outcome - Not enough participants to break record.
Guinness World Record Day draws 1,000 for Simon Sez, but fails to beat Notre Dame record. The winner was Junior Cheryl Altabet.

April 29, 1992
Challenge - Largest number of people to hula-hoop in (or near) a fountain
Outcome - SA claimed to break a record, but nothing official was reported.

Find out more about April 17, 2005 and the UAlbany challenge >>