Angus MacAskill is a giant who claims to be the strongest man on the planet (8 photos)

The world has known many phenomenally strong people at different times. But this man, even compared to celebrities, looks unique.





With a height of 2.4 meters, Angus MacAskill, a giant from Nova Scotia, weighed approximately 195 kilograms and boasted a chest circumference of 130 centimeters. The length of the palm was 30 centimeters, and the length of the foot was 46.



MacAskill was born in Scotland in 1825 and grew up in St. Ann's on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. However, his growth began only at the age of 15. “He was a remarkably small and puny boy,” wrote one acquaintance of the MacAskill family in 1898, “and his father joked that he would send Angus back to work as a shepherd, a position usually assigned to small boys who could do nothing else.”

By the time he was twenty, he had grown into the largest man ever seen. Rumor has it that he avoided attention and skipped church sermons so as not to distract people. MacAskill found joy simply in working on the family farm and fishing.





Eventually, Barnum found out about the giant. During a visit to Cape Breton, the impresario convinced MacAskill to capitalize on his growth. In 1849, Barnum paired him with his polar opposite, Thumb. Together they performed under the names "The Tallest" and "The Smallest" and toured the world for five years.

The baby danced on MacAskill's giant outstretched palm. At the end of the jig, the giant would tuck his diminutive partner into his pocket, which would completely engulf Stratton.

Of course, holding Thumb in one hand was hardly a feat for MacAskill. It is said that he could lift a weight of more than 1,350 kilograms over his head and drag ten times that amount on a flat surface.



Despite this, there were always those who wanted to challenge MacAskill. But they all failed. One of the biggest setbacks befell a fighter named Red McManus. The self-confident and pompous McManus came to Cape Breton and said nasty things about MacAskill. He called him a coward and a deceiver when the giant refused to accept anyone who wanted to beat him. Eventually, he heard enough talk and faced McManus in a makeshift ring. They came together in the center and shook each other's hands cordially - and that was the end of the fight. As MacAskill squeezed McManus' hand, the fighter screamed in excruciating pain and fell to his knees. The giant crushed all the bones in his hand.



Another challenge came from a wrestler who was also visiting the giant's hometown. MacAskill accepted the challenge and, as in the fight with McManus, quickly mastered it. According to one newspaper account, he "picked him up and threw him over a nearby three-meter pile of wood."



The last test of strength took place on a boat. One man bet that the giant would not be able to lift the ship's anchor, which weighed about 950 kilograms. According to one account, MacAskill “grabbed the anchor and, without any apparent effort, laid it on his shoulder. The point of the paw caught his shoulder as he was releasing the anchor, and as a result the giant received a very serious injury.” He never fully recovered.



Angus later returned home and took up trading. While on a business trip in 1863, he suddenly fell ill. A week later, on August 8, the giant died peacefully in his sleep. The attending physician stated that the man was suffering from cerebral fever.



In 1981, the Guinness Book of World Records stated that Angus was the strongest man, the tallest giant without pathology, and the largest true giant in human history.