"Silence is golden" is a classroom manta repeated the world over, but imagine a classroom being shaken by a sound louder than a rock concert, a thunderclap, or a chainsaw. Welcome to the classroom of Annalisa Flanagan — holder of the record for the world’s loudest shout. The teacher at Finaghy Primary School in Belfast, Ireland, bellowed her way into the Guinness World Record book in 1994 with a thunderous bellow of the word …… what else? …… “Quiet!” The shout clocked up an earth-shattering 121.7 decibels, setting a world record and potentially damaging the hearing of anyone within earshot. Despite her standing for 28 years, no one has yet been able to out-shout her. Fortunately, Annalisa insists that she has never unleashed the shout on her students, admitting that she would rather bribe them with sweets. Her pupils back her up, saying Mrs. Flanagan keeps her talent hidden.
