Charles Osborne (1894– May 1, 1991) hiccupped continuously for 68 years (1922-1990). Osborne, from Anthon, Iowa, U.S., was entered in Guinness World Records as the man with the Longest Attack of Hiccups. The hiccups started in 1922 at a rate of 90 times per minute, slowing to 20 hiccups per minute and eventually stopping on June 5, 1990, a total of 68 years. His condition also led him to be a guest on Ripley's Believe It or Not! in 1936, ABC's That's Incredible! in 1980, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1983 , and to be featured as a question in the board game Trivial Pursuit. Osborne began hiccuping in 1922, while slaughtering a hog. Despite his condition, Osborne was able to lead a normal life, and was even married five times. Osborne died of complications from ulcers at Marian Health Center in Sioux City, Iowa on May 1, 1991 and he was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Anthon, Iowa three days later. It has been estimated that Osborne hiccupped 430 million times over the 68 year period. The average human only hiccups about 2,300 times in an average lifetime.
References
- Survivor of 68-Year Hiccup Spell Dies. Omaha World - Herald, 05 May 1991, Sunrise Edition: 2.B.
