The Disappearing Asteroids Ace

Almost twenty years ago, on Nov. 13, 1982, a 15-year-old named Scott Safran slid a quarter into an "Asteroids" machine at the All-American Billiard arcade in Newtown, PA., and proceeded to make history.

For the next 60 hours, Safran stood at the game, zapping alien ships, pulverizing asteroids and sparingly using his "Hyperspace" button en route to ringing up a new world record score: 41,336,440.

To put that score in perspective, imagine Barry Bonds hitting 90 home runs this season, breaking his own record by 17. Imagine Takeru Kobayashi eating 75 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes on July 4 in the Nathan's contest in Coney Island, besting his prior mark by 25. Imagine Stephen King publishing 10 books this year, instead of just the usual five.

"Everyone always talks about records that will never be broken, well this is the one that really won't," said Walter Day, official scorekeeper of the video and arcade game world and the founder of http://www.twingalaxies.com.

From almost the very moment that Safran's historic Asteroids game ended more than two days after it began, Day searched for Safran in hopes of honoring him and ... // 76% Remaining