Tallest Peoples in History
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| Sultan Kösen |
Gigantism, also known
as giantism from Greek, is a
condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average.
In humans, this condition is caused by over-production of growth hormone in
childhood resulting in persons between 7 feet (84 inches) (2.13 m) to 9 feet
(108 inches) (2.74 m) in height.
This is the list of Recorded tallest
peoples in history by Guinness World Record team.
Robert Wadlow
Height: 8 ft
11.1 in
Robert Pershing
Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) is the tallest person in history.
Wadlow reached 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) in height and weighed
439 lb (199 kg) at his death at age 22. His great size and his continued
growth in adulthood were due to hyperplasia of his pituitary gland, which
results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. He showed no
indication of an end to his growth even at the time of his death. Robert Wadlow
was born to Addie Johnson and Harold Wadlow in Alton, Illinois
on February 22, 1918, and was the oldest of five children. During elementary
school, they had to make a special desk for him because of his size. In 1936,
after graduating from Alton High School, he enrolled in Shurtleff College
with the intention of studying law. By the time he had graduated from high
school, he was 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m). His shoes were provided to
him free of charge by a shoe company for which he did promotional work and
appearances. Wadlow was a Freemason. One year before his death, he passed John
Rogan as the tallest person ever. On June 27, 1940 (eighteen days before his
death), he was measured at 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) by doctors C.
M. Charles and Cyril MacBryde of Washington University in St. Louis. On July
15, 1940, he died in his sleep at age 22. Tens of thousands of people attended
Wadlow's funeral on July 19. He was buried in a 10-foot-long (3.0 m),
half-ton coffin that required 12 pallbearers to carry and was interred in a
vault of solid concrete.
John Rogan
Height: 8 ft
9½in
He was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, between
1865 and 1868, the fourth of twelve children, fathered by former slave William
Rogan. Rogan began to grow very rapidly at the age of 13, leading to ankylosis.
Having been able to walk only on crutches, by 1882, he could not stand or walk.
By 1899, he had grown to a height of 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) and often appeared
in newspapers, referred to as the "Negro giant”. His hands measured
11 inches (28 cm) in length and his feet measured 13 inches
(33 cm) in length. He continued to grow until his death; his exact height
was not measured until after his death. At that time he measured
8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) tall, but weighed only 175 pounds
(79 kg), making him the tallest person of African descent, and the second
tallest person ever recorded, exceeded only by Robert Wadlow. Rogan died in
1905 from complications of his disease. His body was buried in the family yard
under solid concrete to prevent anyone from exhuming and examining his body.John F. Carroll
Height: 8 ft
7½ in
John F.
Carroll (1932 – 1969) is one of 17 known people in
medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more. Carroll suffered
from severe, 2-dimensional spinal curvature (Kyphoscoliosis) and acromegalic
gigantism. He had a standing height of 244 centimeters (8 feet 0 inches) on
October 14, 1959, but his height would have been 264 centimeters (8 feet 7¾
inches), assuming normal curvature of the spine. He was later measured at 239
centimeters (7 feet 10½inches) in 1968; he had shrunk in stature due to his
worsening spinal condition. Shortly before Carroll's death in 1968 his standing
height was 234 centimeters (7 feet 8¼ inches). His corrected height was not
recorded but may have been close to nine feet.
Leonid Stadnyk
Height: 8 ft
5.5 in
Leonid Stadnyk
formerly listed as the world's tallest living man according to Guinness World
Records. On August 20, 2008, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, Craig
Glenday, announced that the title of world's tallest man had been returned to China's Bao
Xishun after Stadnyk refused to be measured under the Guinness standard
guidelines which require several measurements throughout the course of 24 hours
under the watchful eye of a Guinness Book representative. Guinness would then
average the height readings to come up with a final official measured height. Stadnyk's
excessive growth began after brain surgery when he was 14 years old. His
recorded weight is 200 kg (440 lb).
Väinö Myllyrinne
Height: 8 ft
3 in
Väinö
Myllyrinne, (27 February 1909– 13 April 1963) was
at one time (1961–1963) the world's tallest person. He stood 222 cm (7
feet 3.4 inches) and weighed 197 kg (31 stone) at the age of 21, but
experienced a second phase of growth in his late thirties, attaining a height
of 251 cm (8 feet 3 inches). Myllyrinne is considered the tallest soldier
ever, having served in the Finnish Defence Forces. In 1962, just a year before
his death, he was measured by doctors at 8 ft 1 inch (2.47 m). He had a
15.7 inch hand span, the greatest known.
Edouard Beaupré
Height: 8 ft 3 in
Edouard
Beaupré (January 9, 1881 – July 3, 1904) was a circus
and freak show giant, wrestler, strongman, and a star in Barnum and Bailey's
circus. Beaupré did not appear abnormally large at birth, and for the first
three years of his life, his growth was relatively normal. However, Edouard's
growth rate then increased dramatically, so much so that by age nine he was six
feet tall, and by the age of 17 his height was recorded at 7 feet
1 inch (2.16 metres). In 1902, Edouard's height was measured at
8 feet 2.5 inches (2.50 metres) and he weighed over 400 pounds
(180 kilograms). His death certificate described him as being
8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) tall and still growing. As a young man
Beaupré quickly grew into a first-rate horseman. Edouard had a dream of
becoming a cowboy when he was growing up. When Beaupré was 15, he quit school
to pursue his dreams of riding the open range. He would spend the latter part
of his short life performing in freak shows and circuses reportedly lifting
horses as heavy as 900 pounds (410 kg). In 1902 Beaupré was diagnosed with
tuberculosis. By the time he reached the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, his
rapid growth and the disease had taken a heavy toll on him. He became ill and
died at a local St. Louis
hospital on July 3, 1904. Even at the time of his death at age 23, doctors
determined that Beaupré was still growing. Gaspard Beaupré made a trip to St. Louis to retrieve his
son's body. When he reached his destination, however, Gaspard turned back when
he realized that he didn't have enough money to pay double fare to return home
with the body. The elder Beaupré believed his son's body was going to be buried
in St. Louis or
used for medical experiments, but that was not the case. When the circus
refused to pay for the transportation costs back to Willow Bunch, Edouard
Beaupré's body was embalmed and put on display. In 1975 Ovila Lespérance,
Beaupré's nephew, discovered the whereabouts of his uncle's body. Lespérance's
efforts to return Beaupré's body back to Willow Bunch were unsuccessful; as the
university claimed it was still needed for research and refused to assist with
the efforts to give Beaupré a proper burial. His remains were brought to Willow
Bunch, and buried during a memorial service on July 7, 1990.
Sultan Kösen
Height: 8 ft
3 in
Sultan Kösen
born 10 December 1982 in Mardin is a Turkish farmer who holds the Guinness
World Record for tallest living male at 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in).His
growth has resulted from a tumour affecting his pituitary gland. His stature is
such that he must use crutches in order to walk. Kösen
lives with his parents, three brothers and sister, who are all of normal
height. He was unable to complete his schooling because of his height and works
part-time as a farmer. Despite his height he claims to enjoy a normal lifestyle
and enjoys playing computer games with his friends. He describes the advantages
of being tall as seeing a great distance and being able to help his family with
domestic tasks such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains. He lists
disadvantages as not being able to find clothes (inside leg measuring 44.5
inches (113 cm) and sleeve length measuring 38 inches (97 cm)) or
shoes (size 28) that fit or finding it extremely hard to fit into an
average-sized car. In October 2013, Kösen married Syrian, who is ten years
Kösen's junior. Kösen's height was recorded at 2.51 m (8 ft
3 in) in his home country by Guinness
World Records, on 25 August 2009, overtaking former world record holder Bao
Xishun who stands 2.36 m (7 ft 8.9 in) tall. Kösen also holds
the current Guinness record for the largest hands at 27.5 cm, and the
largest feet at 36.5 cm (left foot) and 35.5 cm (right foot).
Don Koehler
Height: 8 ft
2 in
Donald A.
Koehler (September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981) is
one of thirteen individuals in medical history to reach a verified height of
eight feet (244 cm) or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest
man in the world from at least 1969 until his death in 1981. At one time,
Koehler stood 249 cm (8' 2") tall, a result of the medical condition acromegalic
gigantism. He was born in USA.
Koehler and his twin sister were born to parents of above average height (their
mother was 178 cm (5' 10"), their father was 188 cm (6'
2")). He started an abnormal period of growth when he was 10 years old.
The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed Koehler at a standing height of
249 cm (8' 2") in tall at his peak. His twin sister was 175 cm
(5' 9") for a record difference of 74 cm (29") between the two
twins as recognized by Guinness.
