Larger Folks
Sunday
History’s tallest recorded human was mild-mannered Robert Wadlow from Alton, Illinois, who reached 8’11” (2.72 meters), but only lived to age 22. As of writing, the world’s tallest living man is Sultan Kösen of Turkey, at 8’3″, and another tall Turk, Rumeysa Gelgi, is the current world’s tallest woman at 7’1″.
Monday
French-born pro wrestler Andre the Giant (born André René Roussimoff), was huge in a profession of huge men. His passport listed his height at 7’2″, and his weight was about 500 lbs. He could physically move most cars by himself, and he often moved friends’ cars as pranks. He once drank 117 beers in a sitting, but quit drinking soon after (and lost 90 lbs.).
Tuesday
American Jon Brower Minnoch holds the title for the heaviest person in medical history, weighing over 1,400 lbs. (635 kg.) at one point. Since his first wife weighed about 110 lbs., he also helped break another unique record, that of the greatest weight differential between a married couple.
Wednesday
The title of heaviest twins goes to Benny Loyd and Billy Leon McCrary, who weighed 723 lbs. and 743 lbs. respectively. These famous motorcycle riding and pro wrestling twins’ pituitary glands were affected by a childhood bout of rubella, and they continued to grow despite what they described as a typical diet.
Thursday
The largest recorded baby born, both in weight and length, was 23 lbs. and 28″ long when born in 1879, though the unnamed boy sadly lived only 11 hours. The child’s mother and father were 7’11” and 7’9″, respectively, and still hold the record for the tallest married couple.
Friday
The Trapp Family of Minnesota is currently the world’s tallest, with an average height over 6’8″. Mom is 6’3″, dad is 6’8″, daughters are 6’6″ and 6’8″ and son is 7’3″.
Saturday
As measured by height at age 19, The Netherlands is the tallest country on Earth, with men’s average height at 6′ and women, 5’7″.