NORRIS MCWHIRTERNorris McWhirter, who died on 19 April, 2004, aged 78, had a passion for quirky facts and world records which made him famous.The joint founder editor of the Guinness Book of Records became a household name with his encyclopaedic knowledge on the classic BBC TV show Record Breakers.A staunch political campaigner, his life was ripped apart by the murder of his twin brother Ross by the IRA.But he fought back to become a familiar face to children in the 1970s and 1980s – as the man who knew everything about everything.Norris Dewar McWhirter was born on 12 August, 1925, in Winchmore Hill, Buckinghamshire. His identical twin Ross was born 20 minutes after him. His father William was a journalist and had edited the Daily Mail. Norris was educated at Marlborough College and then Oxford University where he completed a law degree in two years rather than three.He also excelled at sport and enjoyed a successful athletics career representing both Scotland and England at running in the 1950s before joining the BBC as a sports commentator.He first became known by acting as the timekeeper when Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile in 1954 and was responsible for announcing the record to the world. The pair went on to become lifelong friends.In the early 1950s, Norris and Ross had set up their own agency to provide facts and figures to newspapers and encyclopaedias. Bosses at Guinness were impressed with the twins’ knowledge and hired them to write the first book of records whichbecame anon-fiction best-seller in the UK.Norris was a staunch Tory supporter and stood unsuccessfully for the Orpington seat in the 1964 and 1966 General Elections. Together with his brother, he founded the anti-EEC Freedom Association, which also specialised in legal challenges against trade unions.Norris's brother was a strong critic of British policy in Northern Ireland and wanted a tough response against those committing atrocities in the UK, even offering a reward for information to catch bombers. In 1975 he was assassinated by two IRA gunmen who shot him in the head and chest outside his London home.By then the brothers had been regulars on Record Breakers, hosted by Roy Castle. The show had started in 1972 and Norris continued to contribute as its resident records expert after his brother's death. Each week he would answer from memory any question that the audience chose to ask.He retired from editing the Guinness Book of Records in 1985 but remained an advisory editor until 1996. He ended his association with Record Breakers in 1994. He stayed active, both physically and politically, but died of a heart attack following a game of tennis.Norris McWhirter, who was married twice and had two children, was awarded a CBE in1980. At the time of his death, the Guinness Book of Records had sold more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries.Norris'spe rsonal charm would often disarm those who disagreed withhis right-wing views.As Roger Bannister said after his death: “Many disagreed with his views but his integrity was never in doubt.”
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