5 impressive pi(e) world records

Whether its the mathematical constant or the delicious dessert, there are plenty of world records to share when it comes to pi(e).

From the world’s biggest pumpkin pie to the longest record of pi — 62 trillion digits! — here are a few pi(e) world records from the Guinness Book of World Records.

Largest pumpkin pie

Usually, a pumpkin pie is around the size of a volleyball. However, in 2010, the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers made a pumpkin pie around 30 times the size of a regular pie.

The pie weighed about 3,700 pounds and had a diameter of 20 feet. It took 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin, 2,796 eggs, 525 pounds of sugar and 440 sheets of dough to make the pie.

Most digits of pi recited

Pi or 𝛑 is a number used in math that compares a circle's circumference to a circle's diameter. Pi has an infinite number of digits, which means it goes on and on without ever stopping.

The most digits ever recited of pi was 70,000 digits. Rajveer Meena, of India, had all of the digits memorized and recited them while blindfolded and in front of multiple judges. This feat took him 10 hours to accomplish.

World Pie Eating Championship

Meat pie is a savory pie traditionally made with lamb, carrots, potato and onion. Every year, at the World Pie Eating Championship in England, competitors see how fast they can eat a small meat pie.

In 2019, Ian Gerrard won the competition by eating a pie in 35.4 seconds. The record for the fastest eaten pie at the World Pie Eating Championship is held by Martin Appleton-Clare, who ate a pie in just under 23 seconds in 2012.

Most accurate value of pi

Because pi is an infinite number, it takes advanced technology to calculate a large number of its digits. In 2021, a high-performance computer in Switzerland calculated over 62 trillion digits of pi! The computer took over 108 days to complete the calculations.

The longest line of pie slices

Placinta Cu Mere is a traditional Romanian dessert similar to apple pie made of eggs, flour, sugar, cinnamon and apples.

In 2018, 11 Romanian businesses came together to break the record for the longest line of pie slices. The businesses made Placinta Cu Mere and lined the slices up for a record measuring 7779 feet.

Krisha Kapoor is a student at West High School in Iowa City and a reporter for the West Side Story.