Sunday, October 27, 2013

Tallest People Ever

 1Robert Wadlow 8 feet 11 inches (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940)

Robert Pershing Wadlow sometimes known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois, is the tallest person in history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. The Alton and Illinois monikers reflect the fact that he was born and grew up in Alton, Illinois.
Wadlow reached 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) in height and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at his death at age 22. His great size and his continued growth in adulthood were due to hyperplasia of his pituitary gland, which results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. He showed no indication of an end to his growth even at the time of his death.
 2. John Rogan 8 feet 9 inches (1867/1868–September 12,1905)

 John William "Bud" Rogan is one of 17 known people in medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more and he is also the second tallest person ever, after Robert Wadlow.

He was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, between 1865 and 1868, the fourth of twelve children, fathered by former slave William Rogan. His mother might have not been William Rogan's wife and his mother's name remains unknown. Rogan began to grow very rapidly at the age of 13, leading to ankylosis. Having been able to walk only on crutches, by 1882, he could not stand or walk. By 1899, he had grown to a height of 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) and often appeared in newspapers, referred to as the "Negro giant". He got around on a goat cart he had made for himself and was always the center of attention, often noted for his extremely deep voice and playful attitude. Although he could not work, he made a living by selling portraits and postcards of himself at the train station.

3. Trijntje Keever 8 feet 4 inches (April 10 or 16, 1616 – July 22, 1633)

Trijntje Cornelisdochter Keever, nicknamed De Groote Meid (in English, The Big Girl), is alleged to be the tallest female person in recorded history, standing 9 Amsterdam feet or 2.54 metres (8 ft 4 in tall at the time of her death at age seventeen.

Trijntje Keever was the daughter of Cornelis Keever and Anna Pouwels. Cornelis was a Dutch skipper and Anna was his maid; he married her on May 24, 1605. Trijntje was born on April 10 or 16, 1616 in Edam.
Trijntje’s parents took her to carnivals to earn some money by letting people see her. Trijntje first received public attention when she was nine years old and had reached the height of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in). A royal company consisting of the Bohemian king Frederick V, Elector Palatine, his wifeElizabeth of Bohemia and the princess Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, living in The Hague at the time, visited her, curious about the “nine-year-old girl taller than every man in Europe.”

4. Don Koehler 8 feet 2 inches(September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981)

 

Donald A. Koehler is one of thirteen individuals in medical history to reach a verified height of eight feet (244 cm) or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest man in the world from at least 1969 until his death in 1981. At one time, Koehler stood 249 cm (8' 2") tall, a result of the medical condition acromegalic gigantism.

5. Zeng Jinlian 8 feet 1.75 inches (June 25, 1964 – February 13, 1982)

Zeng Jinlian (simplified Chinese: 曾金; traditional Chinese: 曾金蓮; pinyin: Zēng Jīnlián; was the tallestwoman ever verified in medical history, taking over Jane Bunford's record. Zeng is also the only woman counted among the fourteen people who have reached verified heights of eight feet or more.

At the time of her death at the age of 17 in Hunan, China, Zeng, who would have been 8 feet, 1.75 inches tall (she could not stand straight because of a severely deformed spine), was the tallest person in the world.

6. Sultan Kosen 8 feet 1.5 inches

Sultan Kösen (pronounced [suɫtɑn køsen]; born 10 December 1982 in Mardin, Turkey) holds the Guinness World Record for tallest living male at 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in).

His growth has resulted from a tumour affecting his pituitary gland. His stature is such that he must use crutches in order to walk. Kösen lives with his parents, three brothers and sister, who are all of normal height. He was unable to complete his schooling because of his height and works part-time as a farmer. Despite his height he claims to enjoy a normal lifestyle and enjoys playing computer games with his friends. He describes the advantages of being tall as seeing a great distance and being able to help his family with domestic tasks such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains. He lists disadvantages as not being able to find clothes (inside leg measuring 44.5 inches (113 cm) and sleeve length measuring 38 inches (97 cm) or shoes (size 28) that fit or finding it extremely hard to fit into an average-sized car.

7. Väinö Myllyrinne 8 feet 1.25 inches (27 February 1909– 13 April 1963)

 

Väinö Myllyrinne was an acromegalic giant who was at one time (1961–1963) the world's tallest person. He stood 222 cm (7 feet 3.4 inches) and weighed 197 kg (31 stone) at the age of 21, but experienced a second phase of growth in his late thirties, attaining a height of 251 cm (8 feet 3 inches).

8. Zhao Liang 8 feet 1.1 inches

Zhao Liang is a circus performer from Henan in China. In April 2009, doctors in Tianjin measured his height at 2.46 m (8 ft 0.9 in). If confirmed, this would make him the second tallest living person after Sultan Kösen, but taller than previous record holder Bao Xishun who has been measured by theGuinness World Records as 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in). Leonid Stadnyk, reported to be 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) tall, briefly held the title, but was disqualified due to his refusal to be measured.
Zhao played basketball until ligament damage to his left foot in 2001. His 2009 hospital trip related to this injury as he was too poor to have it treated sooner. Despite advising Zhao Liang against any intense physical exercise, Zhao's surgeon has declared that he has no health issues related to his height. His parents and siblings are average height, though his grandfather was 2 m (6 ft 6 12 in). Zhao grew 10 cm a year till age 23. 

9. Gabriel Estêvão Monjane 8 feet 1 inches (1944 – 1990)

 

Gabriel Estêvão Monjane is one of only thirteen individuals in medical history to have reached eight feet or more in height.
Born in Manjacaze, Gaza Province, Mozambique, Monjane's abnormal growth, attributed to an overactive pituitary gland, started soon after birth. By the time he was 17, Monjane stood 7 feet 10 inches. He joined a Portuguese circus around this age, and was billed as 8 feet 8.3 inches. When measured officially in 1987, Monjane was attributed with the height of 8 feet and three quarters of an inch. He also weighed 418 pounds.
During his lifetime, especially late into his life, Monjane suffered leg problems and was once crippled after falling and breaking his hip. The Guinness Book of World Records stated that he was the tallest living man in their 1988 edition.

10. Suleiman Ali Nashnush 8 feet .5 inches(1943 - February 25, 1991) 

Suleiman Ali Nashnush is one of seventeen individuals in medical history to reach or surpass eight feet in height. He was a Libyan basketball player and actor. In 1960, he successfully underwent surgery to correct his abnormal growth. He was one of the tallest basketball players ever at 8'0½" (245 cm) though when he played basketball he was closer to 7'10" (239 cm) and played for Libya.

Nashnush also had a small role in Federico Fellini's film Satyricon where he played the role of Tryphaena's attendant. He died on February 25, 1991.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Top 25 Sexiest Women Alive!


25. Penelope Cruz
How much do we love Penelope Cruz? Let's count the ways. One, the 38-year-old Spanish actress just gets hotter as she gets older, proving that MILFs aren't just urban myths. Two, she has a habit of sleeping with her co-stars—her resume includes former boyfriends and cast-mates Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, and current husband Javier Bardem. And three, and perhaps most importantly, she isn't afraid of a chainsaw. She's been cut in half by magicians twice in her life, once by legendary illusionist David Copperfield. That would be cool even if she wasn't easy on the eyes. But when a beautiful and talented woman agrees to have her torso separated from his legs for fun, well, excuse us if we swoon.





24. Jennifer Love-Hewitt
There are so many reasons we love Love, but after flipping through her dating roman a clef,The Day I Shot Cupid, it really comes down to one word: vajazzling. Go ahead. Google it—and then thank us later





23. Alessandra Ambrosio
When Victoria’s Secret needed a model to represent their now-ubiquitous “Pink” line of lingerie, they went first to Alessanda Ambrosio. And if you needed even more proof that nobody pulls off a bikini like her, you got it in 2012: Ambrosio was also chosen as the first woman to model the company’s “fantasy bra” and belt, made entirely out of precious stones.






22. Miranda Kerr
A Victoria’s Secret Angel and Australian supermodel—a.k.a Mrs. Orlando Bloom—Kerr is a practicing Buddhist with a daily practice of yoga and meditation and an affinity for steamed veggies and fresh fruit. With those lips and those eyes, she’ll definitely whip you into shape. And, we guess, have you begging for more.





21. Alison Brie
When your debut performance is playing a dog—"Toto" in a community theater production ofThe Wizard of Oz—it doesn't really bode well for a future in acting, much less as the "hottest" anything. But Alison Brie, 29, has definitely blossomed into one of our favorite actresses, with recurring roles on shows like Community(as Adderall-addicted nerd Annie) and Mad Men (as repressed housewife Trudy). We'll definitely keep watching, as long as she promises not to reprise her early work as a children's birthday clown. Yes, you read that correctly. Long before she was a regular presence on prime time TV, she put on makeup and made balloon animals for children. Is there anything in this world quite as disturbing as a hot clown?






20. Adriana Lima
Proving that diamonds are, indeed, a girl’s best friend, this Brazilian goddess wore rocks and little else on an indelible 2007 Vanity Fair cover with other Victoria’s Secret Angels. We got the message: Adriana, we’re ready to propose






19. Brooklyn Decker
As you probably remember from our hotly-debated Hottest Women of All-Time list last year, Decker made the cut at number 50, beating out such timeless beauties as Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly. Were we drunk? Displaying the first symptoms of dementia? Not at all. It's easy to dismiss Decker—the 25-year-old daughter of a pacemaker salesman (insert your own "and you'll need a pacemaker because she'll stop your heart" joke here)—as just another swimsuit model. She's appeared in (almost) every Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue since 2006, but her near-naked visage was nowhere to be found in the latest edition. You could almost hear the collective whimper from heterosexual men everywhere. Little did we realize how much we'd come to depend on those annual photos of Decker wearing the clothing equivalent of a postage stamp.




18. Katrina Bowden
If you have any doubt that Katrina Bowden belongs on this list, consider this irrefutable evidence: She once attended the Immaculate Heart Academy in New Jersey, where she wore a Catholic school girl uniform. You're welcome for that mental image. More recently, she's charmed us as Tina Fey's dim-witted personal assistant on NBC's 30 Rock, a woman whose only goal in life is to "marry rich and then design handbags." It takes a special talent to be surrounded by iconic comedy legends like Fey and Alec Baldwin and not get completely overshadowed. Granted, some of Bowden's "special talent" is looking spectacular in short-shorts. But sometimes genius is knowing when to work with what you've got.




17. Blake Lively
This Valley Girl made good has always made our heart stop, especially after that scalding bathtub scene in Oliver Stone’s Savages. And then she broke it—just a little—when Ryan Reynolds wisely put a ring on it in 2012.







16. Jessica Alba
When we named Jessica Alba one of our 100 Hottest Women of All-Time last year, we felt confident she wasn’t going anywhere. After a short break from filming to spend more time with her husband and two daughters, Alba’s returning in a big way with two high-profile sequels: Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, as well as the comedy A.C.O.D and the kids’ movie Escape From Planet Earth. 





15. Rihanna
We probably don't need to tell you Rihanna is a pop superstar, since her nine singles that reached number one have been played in every club, bar, wedding, and shopping mall you've been to since she signed with Jay Z in 2005. But you might not know that she was only 17 when her first album was released, and in the intervening seven years, she's sold more digital copies of her songs than any recording artist in history—beating out the Beatles, Elvis, and even Aretha Franklin. If only her choice of boyfriends was as sharp as her ability to make hit records. 







14. Kate Upton

In one year, Upton rose from being a rookie inSports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue to its MVP in 2012, earning her (very rightful) place on the cover. Now there’s nary a glossy she hasn’tgraced at some point—and for good reason: Upton has the spunky personality to match the blistering hot bod that’ll ensure the soon-to-be 21-year-old remains a staple of dorm room walls for many years (okay, decades) to come.




13. Emma Stone
Last year, the world couldn’t get enough of Emma Stone after she scored breakout roles inThe Help and The Amazing Spider-Man. We were proud to be on the bandwagon, too: We named her the #2 most beautiful woman of the year in 2011. While things have been quieter for Stone as of late, that could change very, very soon. The woman you may know as the perfect girl next door is primed to become one of the world’s hottest femme fatales when she stars in the upcoming Gangster Squadalongside Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling. Hey, girl: Just keep doing what you’re doing.





12. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift isn’t just one of the hottest women in the world, she’s also the hottest performer in music. Her last album, Red, sold 1.2 million copies in its first week. The only thing that gives us pause about the 5’11, 22-year-old stunner is the competition: Over the past year or two, she’s dated Twilight star (and Men’s Health cover guy) Taylor Lautner, Grammy award-winning musician John Mayer, Academy Award-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and as if that weren’t enough, she’s now off-and-on with a Kennedy. Those fleeting relationships haven’t always worked out (surprise), but Swift’s trick is channeling those frustrations into her music, where she’s quickly become one of the industry’s most reliable hitmakers.    





      11. Bar Refaeli
Let's just come right out and say it: We're fans of the recent trend of busty supermodels with feminine posteriors, as opposed to the rail-thin walking coat hanger look. Just look at how Israeli model Bar Refaeli fills out a bikini on the cover of Sports Illustrated, or demonstrates the flattering lines of a Victoria's Secret Wonder Bra (not that she needs it). Refaeli has been modeling professionally since she was 15, and has been in just about every publication you can think of. Is it any wonder that Leonardo DiCaprio dated her for so long?





10. Amber Heard
Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you? Because the luscious and lithe Heard owns aDirty Harry-style .357 Magnum. If that’s not enough bang for you, we hear that Heard also drives a ’68 ‘Stang, and ain’t afraid to put the pedal to the metal. As for that film oeuvre, it could be said that Heard’s favorite piece of wardrobe is her birthday suit. We say amen to her feral—and very naked—turn in Bret Easton Ellis’ The Informers.





9. Gisele Bündchen
Umlauts are not usually sexy. They bring to mind führers and heavy metal bands. But Gisele Bündchen, 32, has single-handedly obliterated our umlaut aversion. She's like a fashion model blitzkrieg; unstoppable, and easily destroying the competition. She's been so busy that she purportedly turned down 20 million dollars to be the spokeswoman for Clonaid, the human cloning company. Which, on the one hand, was probably a smart business decision. (The Guinness Book of Records credits her as "the world's richest supermodel," so she doesn't need the money.) But still, can you imagine if Clonaid was able to use their cloning technology to build an army of Bündchens? There could be a Bündchen in every home! Okay, probably not realistic, but we can dream, can't we?






8. Beyonce
Last name? Who needs a last name? Like fellow sex icon Madonna, Beyoncé does just fine with a single, three-syllable moniker. And in the last decade-plus, that name has become synonymous with spectacular pipes, formidable acting skills, and most importantly, skintight suits. She’s also known for a remarkable string of hits: Beyoncé’s third album, “I Am Sasha...Fierce”, set a record in 2008 with six Grammy wins in the same night. Unbelievably, things only seem to keep getting better for Knowles—in 2012, she not only gave birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, but also landed a spot as the headliner of the Super Bowl 47 halftime show this February.






7. Angelina Jolie
We’re pretty sure Lord Byron had a time machine, zipped into the 20th Century, feasted his eyes on Angelina Jolie, and only thencomposed his best work. Wild spirit, loose cannon, voluptuous goddess, Jolie is an Oscar-winner, mother to six children, and a beautiful, beautiful enigma we can’t wait to see as Sleeping Beauty’s nemesis in 2014’sMaleficent.





6. Scarlett Johansson
Who knew that the little button from North would blossom into the poignant and ethereal damsel of Lost in Translation or the shapely ass-kicker of The Avengers? Johannson’s got serious acting chops, a figure that makes hourglasses blush, and she croons Tom Waits tunes, too. In love yet?






5. Jennifer Aniston
What more can we say about Jennifer Aniston? Last year, we voted the 43-Year-Old actress the sexiest woman of all-time. Hardly any stars have been as ubiquitous on the world’s magazine covers over the past two decades—and that shows no signs of changing. Hell, even her commercials now go viral. If you don’t believe us, check out the hilarious “Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape” that she made for Vitamin Water. Just, you know, keep your expectations in check.






4. Jennifer Lawrence
Ned Beatty got the wrong end of the Appalachian woods in Deliverance. Had he just prowled a little further into the hillside, he might have landed instead in the arms of this crossbow-wielding, squirrel-eating hourglass. An international superstar thanks to The Hunger Games, Oscar-nominated for Winter’s Bone, and buck-naked and blue for X Men: First Class, Lawrence is the world’s greatest reason to get lost in the wilderness





3. Christina Hendricks
Last season’s Mad Men found a major business deal hanging in the balance of whether or not Hendricks’ Joan Harris would sleep with a client. It played like one of the series’ most realistic moment, because Harris is just that exquisite—that hourglass figure, those pillowed lips and bedroom eyes. Even Helen of Troy has nothing on Hendricks.







2. Mila Kunis
By now, everyone knows Kunis is the perfect woman—preternaturally beautiful, but also appreciative of a good fart joke. No, really. She’s perfect. If still you doubt, just know that this Ukranian beauty loves to play World of Warcraft. And did you see her getting freaky with Natalie Portman in Black Swan?







1. Katy Perry

How can a woman know when her breasts alone have reached pop icon status? Maybe when showing a little too much of them gets your sing-a-long with Elmo banned fromSesame Street. Luckily for men everywhere, Katy Perry had enough of a sense of humor about the whole fiasco to make jiggling her ample rack, barely contained by a tight Elmo t-shirt, the centerpiece of a sketch on
 Saturday Night Live that same week. Of course, Perry has more going on than newsworthy DDs: She took a bad breakup and turned it into the raw material of the year’s most successful album,Teenage Dream.  She is our sexiest woman of 2013.