His name was Robert Wadlow and he stood 8 feet 11.1 inches tall.
Cosmic Blast
An extremely large solar flare (as if there's ever a small one).
Triskaidekaphobia
He dreaded the number 13...and as he feared, he died on Friday the 13th.
Hairy Encounter
They spotted a beast which stood seven to eight feet tall.
Yagan's Head
The warrior's head was severed and began a 177-year odyssey.
Skylab is Falling
In 1979, America's first space station, the 100-ton Skylab, came crashing back to Earth.
Hottest Day
In July 1913, the temperature rose to 134° Fahrenheit in Death Valley, California.
Bad Idea
Garry Hoy's fatal plunge is now a gold standard in the realm of urban legends.
Death in the Mess
Dale Buis and Chester Ovnand are the first of over 58,000 names on the Vietnam War Memorial.
Soapy Smith
He was one of the most infamous con artists on the western frontier.
Howard Hughes Crashes
Howard Hughes took one of the fastest planes ever built on a maiden flight that almost killed him.
The Best Thing Since...
The machine that Otto Rohwedder created not only sliced bread, but it also wrapped it.
Science Bites Back
When a nine-year-old boy was bitten by a rabid dog, Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux put a revolutionary treatment to the test.
Birth of the Bikini
Louis Réard advertised it as "smaller than the world's smallest swimsuit."
Boating with Alice
Lewis Carroll came up with an improvised tale that would one day morph into a classic book.
The Lightning in the Enlightenment
A bolt of lightning sets off a chain of events that lead to the Enlightenment.
Sickles' Leg
During the Battle of Gettysburg, a Confederate cannonball mangled the right leg of General Daniel Sickles. He would go on to lead an illustrious and controversial life.
The Lost Comet
It’s noted for being the comet that came closest to the earth.
Tunguska Event
The largest impact-related atmospheric explosion in recorded history.
All-American Hero
One by one, three boys fell off the underwater cliff. None of them could swim, and neither could Joe Delaney.