DENTON, Texas — When Andrew Torget was a kid, he used to look through the Guinness Book of World Records and wonder which way he could get his name in it.
“Could I grow the longest fingernails?" Torget would wonder as he browsed through the pages. "Could I stack the most toilet paper rolls on top of each other?”
Now a history professor at the University of North Texas, his fascination with history and the record book has continued into adulthood. So one day as he browsed the online record book with his two children, he finally found the perfect record to set.
“We decided on the world’s longest history lesson," Torget said.
It would take nearly a year to plan but Torget entered the record book himself over the weekend with a Texas history lesson that started at 9 a.m. Friday and ended at 11:34 a.m. Saturday. Setting the record required at least 10 students to be present for at least 24 hours. They would receive short breaks every three hours but had to stay attentive, no sleeping or cellphones, while Torget was lecturing.
“I have never stayed up 24 hours so it was a personal challenge as well,” said Jessica White, one of the students who took part in the history making marathon. In the final hours of the lecture, some of the people in the front rows of the UNT Lyceum covered themselves in blankets to stay warm while others got up and stretched to stay awake.
The record-setting run was also a fundraiser for The Portal to Texas History website, a collection of online resources preserving the state's history. Donations during the lecture raised more than $12,000.
Torget began his lecture with Texas’ position in the supercontinent of Pangaea nearly 300 million years ago and ended after “The New Deal” at 11:34 a.m. Saturday. The record was actually set two-and-a-half hours earlier at 9 a.m. but after the applause and ovation, he decided to keep going.
“After about nine hours, my throat started hurting and it was hard to swallow,” Torget said. “What kept me awake and engaged was I was really into the story.”
Students listening said the same thing.
“Dr. Torget made it seem like it was flying by,” said Chris Nelson after lasting the entire 26-hour, 34-minute odyssey. "The stories were amazing."
Afterwards, Torget said he planned on going home and hugging his family before taking a throat lozenge and getting some sleep. He had to turn right back around and teach his two regular classes on Monday.