The strongman Antonio Barichievich (1925-2003), aka the Great Antonio, seems Weird-Universe worthy. Here's a few brief facts about his life (via wikipedia and mrkurtnielsen.com):
He first made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1952 by pulling a 433-ton train 19.8 metres.
He weighed 465 pounds (at his heaviest) and stood about 6 foot 4 inches.
He could eat 25 chickens or 10 steaks at one sitting.
He claimed that he trained by running head-on into trees from a distance of 60 metres.
He sang with a soft, beautiful voice, and at one time wanted to tour with Tiny Tim.
He owned what was possibly the world's largest rocking chair — 4 meters high and 2 meters wide.
He believed he was descended from extraterrestrials.
As he grew older, he braided his dreadlocks into a club held together with masking tape and used this to play "hair golf."
Later in life, the only way to contact him was to leave a message at the Dunkin' Donuts in Rosemont, Canada.
The Great Gravityo was the stage name of Albert Franklin Davidson (1880-1949), a multi-talented performer whose career spanned the first half of the 20th Century. He's one of many once-popular performers who are now all but forgotten. His specialty was pulling cars and lifting heavy weights with his hair, but he was also a sharpshooter, juggler, magician, and trapeze artist.
He performed right up to the end of his life, dying of a heart attack shortly after a performance at the age of 69. It's amazing he still had his hair at 69, given his occupation.
There was hardly any info online about him. But here's a brief description of his act I found in the Paris Texas News (Sep 4, 1941):
25 year old Russian contortionist "Zlata" has just released a calendar featuring her in 12 of her most eye- (and spine-) popping poses. From cooking in the kitchen with one leg behind her head, to getting off a bus with, er, one leg behind her head, the spry former-gymnast has tied herself in knots to produce something to please her legions of fans.
More facts about Zlata, with many more examples of her art, can be found here, courtesy of the Daily Mail. (Potentially NSFW.)
Readers might recall previous posts here about a newly publicized very tall sexy woman, often pictured in her bikini next to an average-sized gal.
For those who admire such miracles of nature, here info on another, Gwendoline Christie, a mere 6'3", and soon to be starring in THE GAME OF THRONES. She's the subject of the foto book linked-to above on the right.
See an odd and slightly risque foto of her from the book after the jump.
Category: Animals, Human Marvels, Stereotypes and Cliches, Superstition, 1900's, Fictional Monsters