Jóhann was born on the 9th of february 1913, the third of nine brothers and sisters. Jóhann Svarfdælingur, as he was always called was best known for his tallness. He was the tallest Icelander ever known and for a while he was claimed to be the tallest man in the world. His height was 2,34m and weighed by then 163kg. He used shoes number 84. Jóhann had to look for a job in foreign countries because he had trouble in getting a suitable job at home. In the year of 1935,one year after the big earthquake in Dalvík, 22 years old, he went to Denmark and was working in Scandinavia, and exhibited himself to the public in a circus for a living. He travelled all over the world and exhibited, for example, in the world show in París in 1937. When the second world war began in 1939, Jóhann was blockaded in Copenhagen and stayed there to the en of the war. In 1945 he return to Iceland and travelled around the country with a film show. Then he took up his previous job and moved to USA 1948 and lived there until 1982 when he returned to Iceland. Jóhann came back to Dalvík and moved to Dalbær the old folks home,and lived there till the day he died. Jóhann Svarfdælingur died the 26th of November 1984 and was buried in the graveyard in Dalvík.
In the museum in Dalvik there are many things from Johann, and much more like special room for Kristján Eldjárn former president of Iceland.
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