Did You Know? The World’s ‘Biggest Attraction’ is Buried in Illinois

This man was once known as the "biggest attraction in the world," but did you know he was buried at a cemetery in Illinois?

Robert Earl Hughes was born in 1922, and according to a family member developed whooping cough at an early age. Due to the disease, Hughes ruptured his thyroid gland.

THE WORLD'S HEAVIEST MAN

From there, Hughes began to gain weight—a lot of it—so much so that Robert Earl Hughes became known as the World's Heaviest Man.

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As an adult, Hughes was six feet tall and ten feet around. If you're wondering how heavy he was, look at his headstone.

It reads, " World's Heaviest Man," and mentions that Hughes weighed 1,041 pounds. No, that's not a typo.

WHERE IS THE WORLD'S HEAVIEST MAN FROM?

You'd think being treated like a carnival sideshow attraction would bring Hughes down, but apparently, it didn't. Living in Fishhook, Illinois, he would make appearances, take pictures, and sign autographs.

His sister-in-law, one of his former managers, said she didn't think she ever saw him sad about anything and was "always happy."

Hughes died in 1958 while also setting a Guinness World Record. The YouTube video narrator referred to Hughes as maybe "pound for pound the happiest person who ever lived."

WHERE IS THE WORLD'S HEAVIEST MAN BURIED?

You can visit Hughes's gravesite at Renville Cemetery in Renville, Illinois.

[H/T Death 2 UR]