Norris McWhirter

Norris McWhirter (born August 12, 1925) is a writer, right wing political activist and television presenter. His equally famous twin-brother, Ross McWhirter, was assassinated by the Provisional IRA in 1975.

Norris McWhirter, who is the son of a newspaper director, worked for the BBC as a sports commentator. On May 6, 1954, Norris McWhirter kept the time when Roger Bannister ran the first four minute mile. After the race, McWhirter began his announcement:

"As a result of Event Four, the One Mile, the winner was R.G. Bannister of Exeter and Merton Colleges, in a time which, subject to ratification, is a track record, an English Native record, a United Kingdom record, a European record, in a time of three minutes..."

at which the rest of McWhirter's announcement was lost in the uproar.

With his twin brother, the late Ross McWhirter, he founded the Guinness Book of Records, editing it for many years, in which time it became a worldwide best-seller. Both brothers held far right-wing views on topics such as emigration, Rhodesia, British membership of the European Economic Community and Northern Ireland, they associating with controversial political movements on the fringe of British politics, notably the anti-EEC The Freedom Association which they founded. Ross McWhirter's criticism of British policy in Northern Ireland, and his call for a "tougher" response by the British army to Irish republican terrorism and stronger restrictions on the Irish community living in Britain, led to his assassination by the Provisional IRA in 1975. After Ross McWhirter's death, Norris continued to appear in public; his continued appearances on the BBC show Record Breakers after his brother's assassination (both had already been regulars on the show) made him one of the most recognisable people on 1970s and 1980s children's television. Though retired from the Guinness Book of Records since 1985 and from Record Breakers since 1994 he has continued to write occasionally; in 1999 he edited a new reference book, his Book of Millennium Records.

Some publications by Norris McWhirter

'Sports and general encyclopædias

• Dunlop Illustrated Encyclopedia of Facts
• Guinness Book of Records (up to 1985, with Ross McWhirter up to 1975)
• Guinness Sports Record Book 1977-78
• Book of Millennium Records ISBN 1852278056

Personal

• Ross: The Story of a Shared Life ISBN 0902782231

Political

• Treason at Maastricht - criticism of the Treaty of Maastricht