Angus MacAskill: One Of The Tallest People Ever (And The Tallest “True Giant”)
Public DomainAngus MacAskill, left, was not only one of the tallest people ever, but he also possessed incredible strength.
Most of the tallest people ever had some kind of health condition that led to their remarkable height. But Angus MacAskill, who stood 7 feet, 9 inches tall, had no such condition — which makes him the tallest “true giant.”
Born in 1825 in Scotland — his family later migrated to Nova Scotia in Canada — MacAskill grew quickly in adolescence. Some called him Gille Mór (Big Boy) and were impressed by his remarkable strength. MacAskill could purportedly lift a 2,800-pound ship anchor to chest height, carry two 350-pound barrels at a time, and once even picked up a full-grown horse.
By the time MacAskill was in his 20s, P.T. Barnum came calling.
Public DomainAngus MacAskill and General Tom Thumb, another P.T. Barnum performer.
MacAskill agreed to tour with Barnum, and spent several years showing off his impressive physique and feats of strength. Audiences were awed by MacAskill, especially when he stood next to the small performer General Tom Thumb. MacAskill even reportedly visited Queen Victoria, who was so awed that she gifted him with two golden rings.
Not long after that, he was able to return to Nova Scotia with a small fortune, and spent his final years working at a general store. Locals especially liked buying tea from MacAskill, who would serve them by the fistful (which, in MacAskill’s large hands, equaled several pounds).
In 1863, however, Angus MacAskill suddenly fell ill with “brain fever” and died not long afterward around the age of 38. In 1881, Guinness World Records posthumously named him the tallest non-pathological giant in recorded history — thus cementing his place among the tallest people ever.
