Jóhann Kristinn Pétursson Was The Viking Giant

Nordic people are known for growing tall, but Jóhann Kristinn Pétursson was an outlier even in his native Iceland. Born in 1913, Pétursson was a normal child until puberty pulled a fast one. At 15, he started growing quickly, and in just a few years he had reached the height of 7 feet, 8 inches (2.34 meters). All his family, including eight siblings, were of average height. Pétursson had trouble finding a job where he would fit in, so he decided to make a living as an exhibition in 1934. In other words, he ran away to join the circus. 

Pétursson exhibited himself in various European countries until after World War II, when he was discovered by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. He moved to the US in 1948 and became known as The Viking Giant or sometimes The Icelandic Giant. Pétursson was not considered to have acromegaly, as his body was perfectly proportioned, just big. He weighed over 350 pounds, which made walking difficult. Read about the career of the Viking Giant and see lots of pictures at Vintage Everday.  -via Memo of the Air