An American Set a World Record by Visiting All Countries in 498 Days: How He Did It

According to glavcom.ua: 35-year-old Michael Zervos, a citizen of the USA and Greece, set two Guinness World Records:

the fastest time to visit all sovereign countries (overall)

and

the fastest time to visit all sovereign countries (men)

. His journey lasted 498 days. This was reported by 'Glavcom', citing guinnessworldrecords.com.

Michael began his journey titled Project Cosmos in January 2024. It was not just a trip, but a project aimed at collecting happy memories from local residents in each country and sharing them with the world.

Zervos set off on his journey on January 17, 2024, and completed it on May 30, 2025, when he returned home to Detroit. In his diary, he recorded his thoughts and impressions. After visiting Africa, he wrote that the countries he visited impressed him with their joyful and resilient atmosphere.

As he approached the end of his journey, he felt physically exhausted but emotionally uplifted. Returning home became the perfect conclusion to the long and remarkable journey, which he called the end of this chapter of his story.

Michael Zervos, a citizen of the USA and Greece, set two Guinness World Records by traveling around the world in less than 500 days. His journey was not only fast but also filled with interesting experiences and interactions with locals. Thanks to the Project Cosmos, he not only broke records but also gathered unique stories of happiness from around the world, making his journey even more interesting and unforgettable.