Mills Darden

Mills Darden (October 7, 1799 – January 23, 1857) is alleged to have been one of the largest men in history. He was widely reported to have stood approximately 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 m) tall and is said to have weighed around 1,000 to 1,100 pounds (450 to 500 kg) at his heaviest. If the reported figures are correct, Darden was 30 percent taller and about six times as heavy as the average American male of today.

Mills (or Miles) Darden was born on October 7, 1799, near Rich Square, North Carolina, to John and Mary Darden. He was married at least once and had several children. His wife Mary, who died in 1837 aged about 40, was 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 m) tall and weighed 98 pounds (44 kg), and the tallest of their sons reached 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m) (tall for an era when the average adult American male only stood about 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 m)).

Mills Darden made his living as a farmer and reportedly owned a saloon at some point. There are many tales of his enormous size and strength, although it is difficult to tell whether they are fact or fiction. A few cunning villagers once measured his weight by marking the exact point his one-horse cart (which had springs) lowered to as he sat on it. Later on, they placed large rocks on the cart to see just how much weight it would take to match Mills sitting on it. They concluded that he weighed over a thousand pounds.

He died on January 23, 1857. He was buried in Lexington, Tennessee. His grave, and his wife's, have been restored by the local Development Authority. No known photo remains of him.