Calgary town enjoyed a circus in 1899. It left a few days later, on its way to Edmonton, but left behind a giant of a man. The “tallest man in the world”, Henry Alexander Cooper, known as "Harry" by his friends, had fallen ill and had to stay behind. Harry passed away in the Calgary General Hospital and is buried in Union Cemetery.
Born in England in 1853, there was nothing special about Harry as a baby. Later in life, as a young man, he worked underground in the iron ore mines nearby. Harry was then stricken by a severe fever and confined to bed for 13 weeks. During his sickness, he grew an astonishing 18 inches. His adult height was reported as 8 feet 6 inches!
