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Robert Earl Hughes

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Robert Earl Hughes
BornJune 4, 1926
Monticello, Missouri, US
DiedJuly 10, 1958(1958-07-10) (aged 32)
NationalityUnited States
Occupation(s)Entertainer and Sideshow performer
Known forThe heaviest human to walk unassisted, The heaviest human in the world during his lifetime

Robert Earl Hughes (June 4, 1926 – July 10, 1958) was an American man who was, during his lifetime, the heaviest human being recorded, weighing 1,071 lb (486 kg).[1] He remains the heaviest human in the world able to walk without the need of assistance.

Early life and family

Robert Hughes was born in Monticello, Missouri, the son of Abraham Guy Hughes (1878–1957) and Georgia Alice Weatharby (1906–1947). He was born "weighing a hefty but not abnormal" 11 lb 4 oz (5.1 kg)[2][3] and was a "fairly average-size baby until he contracted whooping cough at about five months old."[4] The whooping cough was believed to have played a role in his extraordinary weight gain. At age six, he weighed 175 lb (79 kg); at ten, he weighed 380 lb (170 kg).

The family moved to Fishhook, Illinois, when Robert was six months old.[2] He had two younger brothers, Guy B. Hughes (1927–2006) and Donald Hughes (1929–2012).

Condition

During his lifetime, he was the heaviest human on earth. Unlike most people of great weight, he was not bed-bound, and he holds to this day the record of the heaviest human to walk. Hughes's extreme weight was attributed to a ruptured thyroid gland. He reached a peak weight of 1,071 lb (486 kg), with a chest measured at 10.3 ft (3.1 m).[5]

Hughes was so mobile in 1944 at age 18 that he was drafted into the army. He weighed 709 lb (322 kg). After 21 months in the army, he was discharged.[6]

Several newspapers from 1956 noted that Hughes at 30 years old weighed 1,041 lb (472 kg). "Nobody thought to take his measurements at his latest weighing. But at 946 pounds [429 kg], Hughes' waist was an unbelievable 115 inches [290 cm]."[citation needed]

Career

Hughes made some income from selling photographs of himself.[2] During his adult life, Hughes made guest appearances at carnivals and fairs.[4] At age 27,[7] he joined a traveling roadshow, often accompanied by some of his family.[2] Plans to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show variety television program were announced but never materialized.[8]

In 1957, traveling with his brother Guy and Guy's wife Lillian, Robert had bookings throughout the country. Walking, even with his massive cane, had started to be difficult for the 31-year-old. Word reached him at a carnival that his father had died at age 79. Guy and Lillian returned to Illinois for the funeral, but Robert stayed on, believing it his duty to honor his commitments. At season's end, he returned to Guy's farm, unable to walk more than 20 ft (6.1 m) without the assistance of family members, who would follow closely, lugging a 5-foot- (1.5 meter-) wide, steel-reinforced chair in case of exhaustion.

Death

On July 10, 1958, Hughes contracted a case of measles, possibly from his nieces.[8] While traveling with the roadshow in July, he developed a rash in Nappanee, Indiana. His fingernails turned dark blue, and he sought medical attention.[8] He developed uremia.[2] Unable to be treated at the nearest hospital in Bremen, Indiana, doctors came to him at his trailer.[8] However, they were unable to save him, and he died at the age of 32, weighing 1,041 lb (472 kg).

He was buried in a small church cemetery in Benville, Illinois,[7] in Brown County near his hometown, Fishhook.[9] About 2,000 people attended the funeral.[8]

He is often said to have been buried in a piano case. This error stemmed from a sentence that appeared in successive editions of the Guinness Book of World Records: "He was buried in a coffin the size of a piano case."[citation needed] His headstone notes that he was the world's heaviest man at a confirmed 1,041 lb (472 kg).[citation needed]

See also

Additional reading

  • Faig, Kenneth W. (2001). Big Heart: Remembering Robert Earl Hughes, 1926-1958. Issue 8 of Moshassuck monograph series. Moshassuck Press – via Google Books.

References

  1. ^ "Heavy".
  2. ^ a b c d e Gertz Husar, Deborah (June 12, 2007). "Robert Earl Hughes was a gentle giant". The Herald-Whig. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  3. ^ "710 Pound Youth". Life. 1946-10-07. pp. 81–82, 84. Retrieved 2020-02-05 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Moreno, Rich (2010-02-04). "The Biggest Man in Fishhook, IL. Ever". Exploring Illinois. Retrieved 2020-02-05 – via blogspot.com.
  5. ^ "Robert Earl Hughes (1926-1958) - Find A Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. ^ Ripley's Believe It or Not!
  7. ^ a b "It's All in How You Look at It". Kentucky New Era. 1966-07-13. Retrieved 2020-02-05 – via Google News.
  8. ^ a b c d e Luciano, Phil. "World's Heaviest Man: The last chapter of Robert Earl Hughes' remarkable life". Washington Times Reporter. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012.
  9. ^ "Fishhook, Illinois to Benville, Illinois". How Far Is It? Distance Server. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
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