André Roussimoff was a professional wrestler and actor from France. He was born in 1946 and found fame in his successful wrestling and acting careers. He is better known as “André the Giant,” which was his wrestling ring name. André earned this nickname because of his incredible size. He was over 7 feet tall and weighed 500 pounds. This size, which also earned him the additional nickname “The 8th Wonder of the World,” resulted from his untreated acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland that causes an overproduction of growth hormones.

André began his wrestling career in the 1960s and gained widespread fame in the 1980s through his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). On January 27th, 1993, André passed away at age 46 from congestive heart failure linked to his untreated acromegaly.

Fun Facts:

• André was diagnosed with acromegaly, a form of gigantism, at a young age. This condition caused him to grow to over 7 feet tall and weigh over 500 pounds.
• He was known for his impressive strength and ability to drink large quantities of alcohol. He was rumored to drink more than 100 beers in a single sitting.
• André was a member of the WWF (now WWE) Hall of Fame and was inducted in 1993, the same year he passed away.
• In addition to his wrestling career, André also appeared in several movies and television shows, including "The Princess Bride," "The Six Million Dollar Man," and "The Return of the Incredible Hulk."
• Despite his towering size, André had a gentle and kind personality. He was known for his generosity and often gave money to needy people.