Name John Gagnon | ||
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Born October 5, 1883 ( 1883-10-05 ) Caribou, Maine Died May 4, 1939, Augusta, Maine, United States Similar Alan Aerts, Paul Anderson (weightlifter), Vasily Alekseyev | ||
John Baptist Gagnon (October 5, 1883 - May 4, 1939) was a strongman performer in the 1920s. At one time, he claimed the unofficial title of "World's Strongest Man."
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Biography
He was born on October 5, 1883 in Caribou, Maine. Deferring to the wishes of his family, Gagnon gave of performing in the late 1920s. He took a job with the Vicory and Hill Company in Augusta, Maine, where his job was to handle large rolls of paper, each weighing between 500 and 1,000 pounds. Normally, two men were required for the job, but Gagnon did it alone and collected double pay. He died on May 4, 1939 in Augusta, Maine.
World's Strongest Man contest
Gagnon was 5- foot-10-inches tall, weighed 230 pounds, and had 17-inch biceps. In a contest against Warren Lincoln Travis in 1923, Gagnon bested the champion. A platform weighing 710 pounds was set up that could be lifted from above and also back lifted from below. Here are Gagnon's accomplishments with the platform: