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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/xS3doAT.jpg\")
\nWe\u2019ve all heard the phrase \u2018growth spurt\u2019 at some point in our lives – right? And we have all recorded our height on the wall, to check to see if we have grown or not. One guy called Robert Pershing Wadlow didn\u2019t need to mark his height on the wall, as it would seem he was just growing before everyone\u2019s eyes.
\n[post_page_title]First few years[\/post_page_title]
\nIn 1918, a couple in Illinois called Harold and Addie Wadlow welcomed their first child, Robert. They went on to have four children, but there was something unique about their eldest son. When he turned one year old, Robert already weighed 45 pounds, and was measured at 3\u20195\u201d tall.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112414\/zcR7HDz.jpg\")
\nThis is substantially taller and heavier than the average one-year-old. By age six, his growth spurt still hadn\u2019t stopped. He was already taller than his 5\u201911\u201d father, and it didn\u2019t look like he was going to stop growing any time soon.
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\n[post_page_title]By school age[\/post_page_title]
\nWhen he started school, he was already 6’6″. This meant that he already towered over all of the other kids, but not only that, Robert was also taller than around 99% of adults. According to a recent study, the average size of a fully grown man in the US is just 5’10”.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112417\/CWyGQVY.jpg\")
\nBefore he even went to school, he was already beating the American average by a substantial amount. We suspect his teachers were in for a bit of a shock when they greeted him on his first day!
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\n[post_page_title]The growth hormone[\/post_page_title]
\nThe reason for his extraordinary and unusual growth was because he had a hyperactive pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a tiny gland located in a bone cavity, which is located in the base of the brain.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112419\/rLIg5PO.jpg\")
\nWhen the gland is hyperactive, it can release extreme amounts of a growth hormone. This can result in people growing to extreme heights in an abnormal amount of time. This was the case for Robert, except his situation was far more complicated than most people’s.
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\n[post_page_title]World record[\/post_page_title]
\nWhen Robert was about 19, he became the world-record-holder for the world\u2019s tallest man. At this point, he measured at 8\u20194\u201d. This wasn\u2019t all that defined him, and his parents wanted people to know who the real Robert was.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112421\/KE4jeAr.jpg\")
\nAccording to them, he was a mild-mannered young man, and people would frequently call him the \u201cgentle giant.\u201d His family said that he loved photography and spending time playing the guitar. However, sadly, he had to stop both hobbies, as his hands became too large to handle any of the instruments.
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\n[post_page_title]Goodwill ambassador[\/post_page_title]
\nBefore he was given his world record, however, he also became a goodwill ambassador for an international shoe company. As a result of this unique opportunity, he had to travel around the country to visit different states a lot.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112423\/f3OoKw1.jpg\")
\nThey traveled around in his family car, but because of his great height, his father had to remove the front seat of the car, just so Robert was comfortable. If he hadn\u2019t done this, Robert probably wouldn\u2019t have been able to travel by car at all.
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\n[post_page_title]Custom shoes[\/post_page_title]
\nGiven his rapid growing pace, it wasn\u2019t just jackets and trousers that needed to be made bigger for the gentle giant. At 18, his shoe size was a massive 37. For obvious reasons, these shoes needed to be custom-made for Robert, and would cost around $100 per pair.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112424\/nX8QmyC.jpg\")
\nThis might not seem a lot in today\u2019s money, but at the time that would be equivalent to approximately $1,650. When he became an ambassador for the International Shoe Company, they provided these shoes for free.
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\n[post_page_title]Leg brace[\/post_page_title]
\nFor pretty much all of his adult life, Robert had very little, or no sensation in his feet whatsoever. This resulted in him suffering from awful blisters and chafing damage. It became apparent that he was going to need to rely more on a walking cane and leg braces.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112427\/mE3d0rD.jpg\")
\nWhile in Michigan in 1940, he was fitted with a faulty leg brace. This rubbed against his ankles and caused a nasty blister. Initially, he hadn\u2019t realized the damage because he had no feeling, but by the time he did notice it was already severely infected, and he became rather sick.
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\n[post_page_title]The hospital[\/post_page_title]
\nOn July 4th, he was taken into hospital for emergency treatment. However, he had to move into a hotel bed, as none of the beds in the hospital ward were big enough for him. While being treated, he had to have an emergency blood transfusion, but it became apparent that this wasn\u2019t going to work.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112428\/PMpn7nl.jpg\")
\nUnfortunately, the disease continued to spread rapidly, causing his temperature to rise uncontrollably. It didn\u2019t look as though the outcome for the young man was going to be a good one.
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\n[post_page_title]Last words[\/post_page_title]
\nOn July 15th 1940, at around 1:30am, Robert passed away peacefully in his sleep at age 22, measuring 8\u201911\u201d. According to reports, his last words were regarding his grandparents\u2019 golden wedding anniversary. He allegedly said that the doctors told him that he wouldn\u2019t be able to go home for the celebrations.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112430\/UG7hpdX.jpg\")
\nFor his funeral, over 27,000 people attended to pay their respects. Robert was buried safely under a thick lining of concrete. This was because his parents were worried about the sanctity of his body, and wanted to make sure nobody could get too close to him.
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\n[post_page_title]His worldly possessions[\/post_page_title]
\nFollowing his passing, Robert\u2019s family destroyed almost all of his possessions and belongings. They were worried that collectors and obsessive fans would have purchased his things, only to display them in an insulting way.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112433\/fO4Gk5V.jpg\")
\nThey didn\u2019t want to risk anything being displayed as any sort of \u2018freak\u2019 memorabilia. The one thing they did keep intact, however, were his enormous shoes. They donated them to a local museum, so people could see just how large their son was.
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\n[post_page_title]Health complications[\/post_page_title]
\nRobert wasn\u2019t the only man in history to suffer from health complications as a result of his height. In fact, being abnormally tall can have seriously damaging effects on your health.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112435\/iEi5QJU.jpg\")
\nSome may think being tall is a good thing, as you have more of a chance to be picked for the basketball team, and it may even be pretty good for one’s self-esteem. However, these don\u2019t appear to outweigh the negative implications height has on the human body.
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\n[post_page_title]Blood clots[\/post_page_title]
\nResearch has suggested that there is a link between height and venous thromboembolism, which is one of the leading causes of heart attacks and strokes. In the studies conducted, they found that people shorter than 5\u20193\u201d were at a 65% lower risk for developing this condition than people taller than 6\u20192\u201d.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112436\/cm5sPAR.jpg\")
\nSo, it would appear that there is a link between being a substantially taller person and having blood that is more likely to clot.
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\n[post_page_title]Some cancers[\/post_page_title]
\nIt has also been suggested that taller people are potentially at a higher risk of developing some cancers. According to research, the risk of cancer increases by 4% for every two and a half inches someone is over the average height.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112438\/sPghum0.jpg\")
\nBeing extremely tall may indicate over-nutrition, which could suggest someone is consuming too many high-calorie animal proteins. This can leave cells very vulnerable to mutation, according to research. However, there isn’t enough substantial evidence to state that this is explicitly true.
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\n[post_page_title]Heart conditions[\/post_page_title]
\nIn more recent studies, it has been suggested that taller people are almost three times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, which is a dangerous heart rhythm disorder. The research showed that if someone is larger, they are more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112440\/uG0fsKd.jpg\")
\nGiven that being larger will mean that typically their cells will also be larger, the heart may interrupt pathways, causing more pressure to push against the lungs. This could leave someone with an underlying heart condition.
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\n[post_page_title]On the bright side[\/post_page_title]
\nHowever, it isn\u2019t all bad. Some studies have actually shown that being taller is better for the body. It has been suggested that taller people may be less likely to develop heart disease and diabetes. Being naturally taller usually means you have bigger and stronger organs, too.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112441\/cYZCkFV.jpg\")
\nPhoto by Jonathan Colon: Skatesphere.com<\/a><\/em>
\nDespite suggesting that over-nutrition may result in developing some cancers, it may also mean that the body is able to produce more hormones that help to control and maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
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\n[post_page_title]Meet the challengers to the crown[\/post_page_title]
\nInterestingly, Robert Pershing Wadlow is yet to be beaten as the world\u2019s tallest man ever recorded. However, there have been a few people to have come very close to beating his record, and they had made sure to make their tallness known.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112443\/z52mji3.jpg\")
\nIt would seem that Robert is going to hold his title for quite some time yet; however, these men have come very close to beating him, with some growing to be almost 8\u20199\u201d.
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\n[post_page_title]Don Koehler[\/post_page_title]
\nDon Koehler was born in Montana, and reached the gigantic height of 8\u20192\u201d. Unlike Robert, Don\u2019s growth appeared to be normal up until the age of 10. He suddenly began to have growth spurts and grew at an unusually alarming rate.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112445\/QINsUZV.jpg\")
\nFrom 1969-1981, he was the tallest living man in the world. During his life, he recalled having trouble finding somewhere to live with tall enough ceilings. Koehler had a twin sister, who stood at 5\u20199\u201d, which was a world record in height difference between twins. Don Koehler passed away at the age of 55 from a heart condition.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Bernard Coyne[\/post_page_title]
\nBorn in 1897, Bernard Coyne suffered from eunuchoidal infantile gigantism. This is an extremely rare condition that is often referred to as \u2018daddy-longlegs syndrome\u2019. According to reports, his exact height at the time he passed away was never officially confirmed.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112447\/DR4HNXU.jpg\")
\nHowever, according to his World War I registration card, he was over eight feet tall when he was twenty-one years old. Coyne passed away at age 23 and was one of only a few people in history to reach over eight feet in height.
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\n[post_page_title]Sultan K\u00f6sen[\/post_page_title]
\nSultan K\u00f6sen is currently 36 years old and holds the Guinness World Record for tallest living male. He measures at 8\u20193\u201d, so has also joined the club of people who have reached over eight feet tall.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112449\/6x2QEie.jpg\")
\nLike a lot of extremely tall people, Sultan\u2019s extraordinary height is due to a condition called acromegaly, which was caused by a tumor that was affecting his pituitary gland at a very young age. In many pictures of the man, we can see him using crutches. This is because his condition leaves him finding walking reasonably difficult.
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\n[post_page_title]\u00c9douard Beaupr\u00e9[\/post_page_title]
\nBorn in Canada in 1881, \u00c9douard Beaupr\u00e9 reached the height of 8’3″. As a young boy, he dreamt of becoming a cowboy. However, when it got to his 17th birthday, and he was actually able to lift an 800-pound horse, he knew he had to think again.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112452\/RNDXiZC.jpg\")
\nAt 21, Beaupr\u00e9 joined Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. Toward the end of his short life, he developed tuberculosis, and a few weeks later was rushed to the hospital. Sadly, he passed away the same night at the young age of 23.
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\n[post_page_title]John Rogan[\/post_page_title]
\nMeasuring up at 8\u20199\u201d, John Rogan is the second tallest human being ever recorded in history. He was born in Tennessee in 1868 and had a sudden growth spurt at 13 years of age. Unfortunately, he suffered from severe joint pain and inflammation due to his body suddenly growing at a rapid rate. Initially, John used crutches to walk around; however, after a while, he was no longer able to walk at all.
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112454\/QHcdsST.jpg\")
\nIn 1905, he passed away due to complications and was buried in the same way as Robert was, under concrete, to avoid anyone trying to dig up his body. Despite being almost nine feet tall, John Rogan only weighed 175 pounds, which is the right weight for someone substantially smaller than him.
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\n[post_page_title]Andr\u00e9 the Giant[\/post_page_title]
\nEven though he was just a little guy compared to some of the others mentioned here, he was arguably the most famous giant of them all. We’re referring to Andr\u00e9 Roussimoff, born in Grenoble, France, at the foot of the French Alps. You probably know him by his ring name – Andr\u00e9 the Giant!
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![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155711\/kdCYjgj.jpg\")
\nLike Sultan, Andr\u00e9 also had acromegaly, which meant he never stopped growing. He was billed as seven-foot-five in the WWF, but his real height was probably a few inches shorter. Nevertheless, he made a legendary career out of it – both in the ring and on the screen in films like The Princess Bride.
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\n[post_page_title]The tallest man that ever lived[\/post_page_title]
\nMost of these people have lived very difficult and short lives. Other than Sultan K\u00f6sen, who is still alive today, most of the other men didn\u2019t live past their early twenties. However, for Robert Pershing Wadlow, his legacy will live on forever.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/19112455\/LhZPIsm.jpg\")
\nHe might not have had the life he expected, but he certainly made the most of the time he had. Reaching nearly nine feet tall, his name will go down in history as the tallest man that ever lived.
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\n[post_page_title]The world’s biggest boy scout[\/post_page_title]
\nIt would become evident pretty soon that Robert Wadlow would never get to live a normal life. However, growing up he refused to let that get to him, and did everything he could to be as much like a child his age as he possibly could.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155712\/tvCWKtJ.jpg\")
\nOne of the ways he did that was joining the Boy Scouts in his early teens. There was just one problem – by age 14 he was seven-foot-five and weighed over 300 pounds! To accommodate his enormous size, a tailor-made uniform, tent, and sleeping bag were made for him.
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\n[post_page_title]Joining the Ringling Brothers[\/post_page_title]
\nApart from his tour for the shoe company, Wadlow also found other ways to monetize his stature during his too-short life. One of those ways was becoming apartment of the infamous Ringling Brothers Circus.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155713\/AMx6yEZ.jpg\")
\nWadlow joined their 1936 tour of the United States, and even appeared in the famed venues of Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden. However, he always maintained his dignity, and appeared in the center ring rather than the sideshow, with the other so-called “freaks.” He also dressed in his everyday clothes, rather than wearing a top hat and penguin suit.
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\n[post_page_title]The dark side of fame[\/post_page_title]
\nOf course, fame didn’t necessarily mean just the glitz and glamor of show business. There was also a much less pleasant side to his fame. People constantly gaping at him as he passed anywhere in public goes beyond saying, but it actually went farther than that.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155714\/iExUBEK.jpg\")
\nSome people would pinch his legs, or even kick him in the shins, to make sure he wasn’t walking on stilts. Wadlow was characteristically reserved when discussing all this attention. When asked if it annoyed him that people stared, he dryly responded, “No, I just overlook them.”
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\n[post_page_title]20 people carried his coffin[\/post_page_title]
\nAt the time of his passing, Robert was 8’11” and about 440 pounds. As you might imagine, buying a coffin “off the rack” didn’t exactly cut it in his case. And indeed it didn’t.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155715\/E0Co14K.jpg\")
\nHis coffin measured 10 feet and 9 inches long by 2 feet and 8 inches wide, with a depth of 2 feet and 6 inches. It weighed well over 1,000 pounds, and 20 men were needed to carry it. Twelve were actual pallbearers, while eight men assisted in this gargantuan task – no pun intended.
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\n[post_page_title]Remembered at home[\/post_page_title]
\nJust because Wadlow has been gone since 1940 does not mean he has been forgotten, least of all in his hometown of Alton, Illinois. The city’s College Avenue, right across from the Alton Museum of History and Art, now bears a life-size statue of the giant, erected in 1986.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155716\/jxWUXLb.jpg\")
\nSeveral other life-size models of the man have been placed in other museums the world over. In 2005, Wadlow was also immortalized in song. Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens dedicated a song, called The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders, to Wadlow in 2005.
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\n[post_page_title]Actually treatable[\/post_page_title]
\nIt’s a little sad to think about, but the truth is that had Robert been alive today, he probably wouldn’t have passed away at age 22. We know that his pituitary gland was producing too much human growth hormone, and this could theoretically have been fixed with surgery.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155717\/2GxlJB8.jpg\")
\nDoctors in his time weren’t confident enough to operate on him, however, and his fate was sealed. People suffering from the same condition today, conversely, can have an operation that stops the excess production of human growth hormone, thereby stopping their never-ending growth.
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\n[post_page_title]Why he matters[\/post_page_title]
\nTo this day, no one has been indisputably verified to have surpassed Robert Wadlow’s height, despite the 80 years that have passed. It’s for that reason that his record has been included in almost every edition of the Guinness Book of World Records since.
\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/29155718\/gFi8oSK.jpg\")
\nBut it’s not the only reason. According to the book’s editor-in-chief Craig Glenday, the record has resonated for so long with so many people across the globe because of its simplicity. “Every country understands how powerful this record is,” he explained. And so Wadlow lives on – in the Guinness Book of World Records and the imaginations of everyone who’s heard of this gentle giant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all heard the phrase \u2018growth spurt\u2019 at some point in our lives – right? And we have all recorded our height on the wall, to check to see if we have grown or not. One guy called Robert Pershing Wadlow didn\u2019t need to mark his height on the wall, as it would seem he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":85338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n