Archive for the ‘people’ Category

Besse Cooper, World’s Oldest Living Person Since June 2011

December 7th, 2011 by admin | 1 Comment | Filed in people, world record

At 115 years and 102 days at the time of this writing, Besse Berry Cooper of Monroe, Georgia in the United States is currently the world’s oldest living person since June 21, 2011 following the death of the ex-title holder Maria Gomes Valentim who was from Brazil.

Besse Cooper - Oldest Living Person Since June 2011

Besse Cooper – Oldest Living Person Since June 2011. Image via

Besse Cooper, who now lives in a nursing home in Monroe, was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records and was included in the book’s 2011 edition. She was born on August 26, 1896 in Tennessee and moved to Georgia during the World War I to find work as a teacher. She had four children, 12 grandchildren, and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.

Besse Cooper and the Guinness Book 2011 Edition

Besse Cooper and the Guinness Book 2011 Edition. Image via

People with Extreme Sleep Disorders

November 4th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in health, people

Around the world, millions of people are suffering from a variety of sleeping problems. Below are some of the people who have extreme cases of sleep disorders.

Sleep disorder

Sleep disorder diary. Image via

Rhett Lamb, The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep
Rhett Lamb, the 3 year-old boy who couldn’t sleep. He is awake almost 24 hours a day which makes him irritable during the day. Rhett is suffering from an extremely rare condition called Chiari Malformation. This condition squeezes the brain into the spinal column which result to strangulating of the brain stem which controls our body’s sleep, speech, cranial nerves, circulatory system, and the breathing system.

Michael Corke, the Man Who Never Slept
Michael Corke, a music teacher from Chicago, has been sleeping fine all his life. One day in 1991, just a few days after his 40th birthday, he began having trouble sleeping. His sleeplessness grew worse in the following weeks and his health deteriorated. Eventually he had by total insomnia – he could not sleep at all. After six months of total sleep deprivation, he died in the hospital.

John Alan Jordan, Another Man Who Never Slept
John Alan Jordan’s sleep disorders began a few months into his new job as a laboratory assistant at a leading dairy company in England, when he abandoned normal safety procedures by not wearing protective globes while working with broponol kathon, ammonia, hydrochloric acid and industrial strength detergent. He continued to work like this for several weeks until it made him gravely ill for two years. When he recovered, John had trouble sleeping and around Easter or 2006, he can’t sleep at all.

Ngoc Thai, the Vietnamese Man Who Could not Sleep
This 67-year-old Vietnamese insomniac, has been around the internet and one of the famous “man who could not sleep”. Thai’s sleep disorder started in 1973 after getting a fever. He claims he hadn’t sleep for more than 35 years. Aside from lack of sleep,Thai said that he still fells healthy and can farm normally like others.

Ines Fernandez, the Spanish Woman Who Never Slept
Ines’ story began in the summer of 1943. While watching a religious procession passing by her cottage in southwest Spain, she suddenly yawned and felt a searing pain went through her head. Ever since that day, she never slept. Her slept disorder lasted for more than 30 years. It caused her her marriage and became increasingly nervous and frustrated. The doctor who examined her described her condition as chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder) and total insomnia. They also discovered that the sleep section of the brain appeared to permanently impaired.

Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s Dictator President, Captured and Killed by his People

October 21st, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in offbeat news, people

Finally, after more than 40 years of being Libya’s dictator president and more than two months in hiding, Moammar Gadhafi was captured and killed be his own people. The Libyan rebels found him hiding in a culvert in his home town of Sirte, Libya.

Moammar Gadhafi - Libya's dictator

Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s dictator president at the AU summit. Image via

Reporters on the scene in the town of Sirte said that it was likely that NATO forces hit a convoy of about 15 vehicles fleeing to the west of the town. Qaddafi and the survivors took refuge in a drainpipe off the highway. After a brief firefight with the rebel fighters they surrender.

Dead Moammar Gadhafi picture

Dead Moammar Gadhafi picture.

The video below, taken using a cellphone camera, shows Gadhafi during the last minutes of his life (or probably dead already) while he was dragged by the Libyan rebels. Warning, this video is very graphic.

Alan Billis Donates Body For Ancient Egyptian Mummification

October 19th, 2011 by admin | 1 Comment | Filed in human body, people, science

When Alan Billis was dying, one of his wish was to donate his body to be mummified using the same techniques that ancient Egyptians performed on King Tutankhamun. Well, he got his wish granted by a reality TV show who filmed the entire procedure. The result is a documentary entitled “Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret”.

Alan Billis donates body for mummification

Alan Billis donates body for mummification. Image via

Billis, a 61-year-old taxi driver, died in January 2011 after suffering from lung cancer. He heard about the search for a body donor to undergo the mummification procedure that scientist has been working on recreating for years. A self-confess documentary film lover, he said he had just one regret of the procedure – that he will not be around to see it.

Alan Billis and wife

Alan Billis and his wife who supported his decision to be mummified. Image via

Toe Jam, Amazing Armless Guitar Man Plays with his Feet

October 18th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in people

Tony Melendez, also known as Toe Jam, was born without arms but it did not deter him from doing what he want – his love of music. This amazing armless man plays guitar with his feet. In fact, he plays better than others who plays with their hands. Watch him sing “Let it be” by The Beatles.

100-Year-Old Fauja Singh Completes 26.2-mile Marathon

October 18th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in people, sports

In approximately eight hours, 100-Year-Old Fauja Singh was able to complete the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. This feat made him the oldest person ever to finish the said race. His official time is 8 hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds.

100-Year-Old Fauja Singh Completes Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront  Marathon

100-Year-Old Fauja Singh Completes Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Image via

Singh said that his secret to his long life and extraordinary stamina is a smoke and alcohol free life. He is also a vegetarian and walk or run up to 10 miles per day. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was only his eighth race. He did not start running marathons until he was 89-years-old when he migrated to England.

Superman fan Herbert Chavez Underwent Cosmetic Surgeries to Look Like His Idol

October 14th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in people

Just how far you will go to look like your idol? Apparently for Superman fan Herbert Chavez of Calamba City, Philippines, he will do anything, even undergoing multiple surgeries just to look like Superman. These transformations made him “village superman” in his neighborhood.

Superman fan Herbert Chavez before and after his cosmetic surgeries

Superman fan Herbert Chavez before and after his cosmetic surgeries. Image via

This Filipino designer undergone a series of cosmetic procedures that have made his nose higher and slimmed down his thighs. He has had surgery on his cheeks, lips and chin, and injections to whiten his skin all in more than a decade. And he’s not stopping there. His next plan is to have an operation that will give him a more muscular abdomen and maybe surgery in Japan that will insert metal in his legs to make him taller.

Herbert Chavez poses with his life-sized Superman statues

Herbert Chavez poses with his life-sized Superman statues. Image via

Keiko Fukuda, Earned 10th Dan Black Belt in Judo at 98

September 11th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in people, sports

At 98 years old, Sensei Keiko Fukuda earned her 10th dan (degree) black belt in Judo on July 2011. Her achievement made her the first woman to achieve such a fate. Throughout martial arts history, only sixteen people have ever achieved this honor – she is now a member of that elite team.

Sensei Keiko Fukuda during a judo class

Sensei Keiko Fukuda during a judo class.

Fukuda began practicing Judo in 1935. She is the sole surviving student of its founder, Kano Jiguro. Her teacher urge her to learn English to help spread Judo internationally. She earned her 5th Dan black belt in 1942. Because the Kodokan Judo school was old-fashioned and sexist about belts and ranks, they decided not to elevate her to higher rank and so she remained a 5th dan black belter for 30 years. Finally in 1972, she got her 6th dan when a woman’s division was created, and her succeeding belts there after.

See video below in one of her interview.

Keiko Fukuda’s story is now a subject of a documentary by Yuriko Gamo Romer. Click here to read more about the film.

Rafael Nadal Caught on Camera Grimacing with Pain During Interview

September 5th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in odd videos, people, sports

During in a post game interview, Rafael Nadal caught on camera grimacing with pain. Turned out it was just a minor leg cramp and was aided with an ice pack. Nadal just came from a straight set win over David Nalbandian before heading to the interview.

Rafael Nadal caught on camera grimacing with pain

Rafael Nadal caught on camera grimacing with pain.

The room had to be cleared of the press and after 10 minutes, the reporters were allowed back in. See the video below.

Barbara Gray, the Woman in Elvis Presley’s ‘The Kiss’ Picture

September 2nd, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Filed in people

After more than five decades of keeping the secret to herself, Barbara Gray finally revealed to the world that she is the woman whom Elvis Presley is having french kiss with in the famous ‘The Kiss’ picture. It was one of the longest-running mysteries surrounding the king of rock ‘n roll’s celebrated life.

Alfred Wertheimer, the photographer who took the picture in one summer day in 1956, didn’t know who was the lady in the picture until now.

Barbara Gray, the Woman in Elvis' 'The Kiss' Picture

Barbara Gray, the woman in Elvis’ ‘The Kiss’ Picture revealed herself. Image via

According to an interview with Vanity Fair, a 75-year-old real estate manager from Charleston has stepped forward to claim the identity of Elvis’s anonymous “date for the day.”

Barbara Gray, who has endured seeing herself in the photo repeatedly–as well as in other shots from the famous series Wertheimer captured on a summer day in 1956–told Vanity Fair she has decided to reveal herself simply to get her story out.

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