Human physiology can be genuinely wild. Looking at these two iconic figures side by side shows just how insane the difference in historical records really is.

The first two photos depict Thomas Wadhouse, who lived in Yorkshire back in the 1730s. He worked in traveling side-shows and held the all-time historical record with a nose measuring a massive 19 cm (7.5 inches). While very few details about his personal life survived, historical accounts noted he was a gentle soul, and a wax display of his head still sits in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to this day.

The last three photos show Mehmet Özyürek from Artvin, Türkiye. He originally came into the spotlight after winning local "long nose" competitions in the late 90s, before being officially measured at 8.8 cm (3.5 inches) and entering the Guinness World Records as the living record holder. Mehmet was genuinely proud of his title and famously loved telling reporters that he had no interest in changing a thing about his face. Sadly, he passed away in May 2023 at age 73 after suffering a heart attack right before a medical operation.

Even though Mehmet held the official record in modern times, it’s mind-blowing to think that Wadhouse’s nose was still more than double that length.

In the 1970s, an enterprising WWII veteran named Leon Smith envisioned a combination restaurant, shopping center, and hotel in the shape of a giant igloo in Alaska. Alone and by hand, he constructed the massive dome structure out of wood and covered it with urethane foam. Tragically, his vision was never fully realized.

If you like this, check out my other pictures on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/whimsicalruins/

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