- The tallest man to have ever lived is an American named Robert Wadlow; His height of 8 feet 11 was caused by a unique excessive production of growth hormones in the body
- The circus lived for 22 years from 1918 to 1940; His funeral was attended by over 40,000 people
- The Gentle Giant died after the braces that aided his movement caused his septic blister
Robert Wadlow stood at 8 feet 11 inches tall which is equivalent to 2.72 m. This height made him the tallest man that has ever lived. He was an American who advertised for different shoe brands and also toured with one of the greatest circuses, the Ringing Brothers Circus.
Here is how the 1918-born Robert grew taller than everyone in the world, his parents, his death at the age of 22, and his complete story.
Wadlow was Born to Parents of Average Height
The Alton Giant was born on February 22, 1918, in Alton, Illinois, United States. His parents were Harold Franklin and Addie May Johnson Wadlow. His father was said to be 5 feet 11 inches tall and his mother was also of average height.
Wadlow was born as the first of 5 children. His younger siblings also had normal height.
He is the tallest in his family. His height and weight compared to his family were so much so that by the time he was 9 years old in 1927, he was 6 feet 2 and a half inches tall and was weighing 82 kg. He was strong enough at the time to carry his father on a seat and take him to the second floor on a staircase.
He Reached the Current Tallest Man’s Height When He was only 17
The current tallest man in the world is a Turkish named Sultan Kosen. He stands at 8 feet 4 inches tall. This is the same height that Robert recorded when he was 17/18.
Also at this height in 1936, The Giant graduated from Alton High School. Afterward, he attended Shurtleff College with the intention to study law.
Roberts’ significant height started to show when he was only 6 months old. At the time, he was 2 feet 10 and a half inches tall. This means that he was as tall as a 2-year-old.
By the time he turned 1, he was as tall as a 5-year-old. His height was further outrageous when he was already as tall as a 12-year-old when he was only 3 and stood at 4 feet 11 inches.
At 7 in 1924, the tallest man was already the average height of an adult male which is recorded as 5 feet 10 inches.
He continued to grow at an outrageous pace that by the time he was 22, he was already 8 feet 11 inches tall. With this height, he was already about 2 feet 61 inches taller than average men.
Comparing this height to his native America, Robert was 2 feet 21 inches taller than the average American man whose height is 5 feet 9 inches.
He was also 2 inches taller than the second tallest man in history, Joh Rogan whose height was 8 feet 9.5 inches. Robert recorded this height in 1939 when he was 21 years old.
Wadlow’s significant height gained the world’s attention when he joined the U.S. tour with the Ringing Circus. With the famous circus, he appeared at Madison Square Garden and the Bostin Garden. He mostly appeared in the center ring.
He also began a promotional tour with the International Shoe Company, which gave him shoes for free.
Apart from the fame that tours and adverts added to him, Roberts also rooted himself in the fraternity. He belonged to the Order of DeMolay and later joined the Freemasons. In 1939 when he was 21 years old, he was a Master Mason under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Illinois.
Why was Robert Wadlow so Tall?
When Robert’s height was outrageous, Doctors examined him and concluded that he was suffering from pituitary gigantism. This condition is an uncommon excessive production of growth hormones in the body.
This condition makes a child grow bigger than normal. The current tallest man in the world, Kosen also suffers from the same rare genetic condition.
Despite the fact the doctors identified what was wrong with Robert, he was not administered any medication to treat or stop the growth.
There are reports according to guinessworldrecords.com that doctors were not confident enough to perform surgery on him. Since he could consume about 8,000 calories a day, his height continued to increase with time.
He grew so tall that his shoe size was US size 37 AA; UK size 37 or approximately European size 75.
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How the Tallest Man in History Died
Robert had difficulty getting around and hence, he used braces and a walking stick.
Well, the braces contributed to Wadlow’s death. The braces did not sit well and caused the tallest man a septic blister on his right ankle.
He died on July 15, 1940, at 1:30 am in a hotel in Manistee, Michigan. He was only 22 years old at the time and was 8 feet 11 and a half inches tall. He weighed 439 lb which is the equivalent of 199 kg.
It was projected that he would have probably kept growing if not for death.
His coffin was 10 feet 9 inches (3.28 m) long, 81 cm (32 inches) wide, and 76 cm (30 inc) deep. The coffin was carried by 12 pallbearers and 8 assistants.
The Gentle Giant as he is remembered was laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetry in Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois. His funeral was attended by over 40,000 people.
Following his death, a life-size statue of him was erected opposite the Alton Museum of History and Art in 1986.
