Giant Rubber Duck

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created large scale version of the popular yellow rubber duck toy. Inflatable 12 m [40 ft] rubber duck floats in lakes and canals of different cities and brings smiles to the faces of anyone who sees it.

5 famous giants

Gigantism has been viewed differently throughout recorded history, but starting around the 1800s those afflicted started earning something of a celebrity status. What follows are five famous cases.

1.

Trijntje Keever (1616 – 1633)

Given the charming nickname of De Groote Meid (“The Big Girl” in English), Keever is believed to be the tallest female in recorded history. Her last measuring put her at 8 feet and 4 inches. However, at age nine she was already 6 feet and 7 inches, making her taller than most adults in Europe. Think about that for a second: she wasn’t even a teenager and she could dunk over most of the NBA.

When she was younger her parents decided to cash in on God’s interesting design by taking her to carnivals wherepeople had to pay for the simple privilege of looking at her. While that may seem like a scam by today’s sideshow standards (couldn’t they have made her dance at least?), the gimmick seemed to work: at one point the royal family of Bohemia paid her a visit because they simply couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

They were not disappointed.

Unfortunately, Keevermania stopped running wild at age seventeen when she died of cancer. Her original shoes (which are still on display) measure at fourteen inches long. Based on an anonymous painting of Keever (above), it’s been suggested that she may have suffered from acromegaly.