'The real Rain Man' dies, aged 58

Kim Peek, the man who was the inspiration behind Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man, has died.

According to The Guardian, the 58-year-old suffered a heart attack in his hometown of Salt Lake City, UT.

Peek was often labelled a 'megasavant' for his incredible recall and memorisation abilities, being able to remember to the word over 12,000 books.

Peek also had severe brain damage, which meant that he needed to rely on his father Fran for the activities of daily living, such as dressing, brushing his hair, tying his shoes and other motor skills. Over the years, however, the scientists who worked with him believed that he had gained more cognitive skills and could interpret facts.

"His legacy can be summed up in one word: inspiration," said Darold Treffert, a psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin medical school, who advised the makers of Rain Man and who was close to Peek for the past 20 years.