The Endless Hunger – Tarrare & Charles Domery

What this episode covers

In this episode of Strange Matters the unique and interesting lives of Charles Domery and Tarrare are discussed. Infamously known as the hungriest men who ever lived, these two individuals were cursed with a constant feeling of starvation, and an insatiable desire to eat anything possible to satisfy their endless hunger. Capable of eating in a single meal what would normally satisfy a dozen men, there is still no answer as to what was the cause for their notorious appetite. Both Charles Domery and Tarrare lived in Europe, born in the 1770’s. From an early age they displayed an ability to eat a tremendous amount of food. Both would go on to serve in the War of the First Coalition, where a shortage of food drove the men to eat anything they could get their hands on, from small living animals to even grazing on grass. Experiments would be done on both men to test the limits of their appetite, where they performed impossible feats of eating. Though the exact cause for Charles’ and Tarrare’s endless hunger is unknown, there are several medical explanations that may provide some clues as to what made these two men so special. Regardless, there is little doubt that these two men stand at the top of history as the two hungriest men who ever lived. Special thanks to listener Michael Adams for sending us new Strange Matters Artwork used for this episode!

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