Kim Peek, the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman’s character in the movie “Rain Man,” died Saturday.

Peek, who was 58, was diagnosed with intellectual disability as a baby and his parents were encouraged to institutionalize him. Instead, Peek remained with his family and turned out to be a mega-savant in subjects ranging from history and literature to numbers, music and sports.

During his life, the Salt Lake City, Utah man memorized 9,000 books and was studied by NASA in an effort to unlock the secret of his intelligence. Peek typically read eight books daily and could read two pages at a time, one eye reading each page.

At the same time, however, Peek needed 24-hour assistance throughout his life to perform basic tasks like dressing and grooming.

Hoffman’s portrayal of a character largely based on Peek in the 1988 film “Rain Man” was the first many people learned of autism. After the film was made and won four Oscars, Peek became a celebrity in his own right, emerging from his shell to travel the world wowing audiences with his vast array of knowledge, reports the (London) Times. To read more click here.

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