Kim Peek, Man Who Inspired “Rain Man,” Dies
You may not know of Kim Peek – but chances are you’ve seen Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar-winning portrayal of him in the 1988 film Rain Man. According to NPR, the real savant has died at the age of 58.
Peek had severe mental handicaps but an astoundingly acute memory. He had trouble with simple things like turning on lights or dressing himself, but he reportedly remembered everything he saw and heard. Dates, zip codes, every word in 9,000 books.
The film Rain Man made Peek so famous that he traveled around the world and showed off his talents as the real “Rain Mam” NASA even studied him because his memory got better as he grew older.
Unfortunately, Peek’s body couldn’t keep up with his mind. Peek’s father says his son died Saturday of a massive heart attack at his suburban Salt Lake City home.
“He had a depth and breadth of knowledge and a memory that was just unbelievable,” Daniel Christensen, a professor with the University of Utah’s Neuropsychiatric Institute. “He was unique. I don’t know if there will ever be another person quite like Kim.”
Could you imagine being able to remember EVERYTHING you ever heard? I’m not sure if it would be a blessing or a curse.
