LONDON, England (AFP) — The world’s tallest and shortest men came face to shin on yesteray to celebrate the 10th annual Guinness World Records Day, as people across the globe set several bonkers new benchmarks.

Turkey’s Sultan Kosen, who stands 2.51 metres (eight feet, nine inches) tall, met with Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal, who measures just 55 centimetres (21 and a half inches).

Kosen, a 31-year-old farmer, stooped down to shake the world’s biggest hands — 28.5 centimetres (11.22 inches) — with 74-year-old Dangi opposite the Houses of Parliament in London.

“I was very interested how tall he was going to be, about how far up my legs he would go, and of course once I saw him I realised how tiny he was,” Kosen told AFP.

He said meeting Chandra was “amazing”, although he admitted bending the long, long way down for photographs was difficult.

“I do have problems with my knees so if I stand too long I do get tired,” he said.

Kosen added: “Even though he is short and I am tall, we have had similar struggles throughout our lives and when I look into Chandra’s eyes I can see he is a good man.”

Meanwhile Dangi, a primordial dwarf who makes placemats, is the shortest adult ever certified by Guinness World Records.

“I was very pleased to see the tallest man in the world, I was curious to meet my extreme opposite,” he told AFP.