Tallest man in the world youtube

Robert Wadlow wasn’t just once the world’s tallest person, he is still to this day thetallest person who ever lived.

And in fact, it’s highly unlikely anyone will ever beat his record.

That’s why he’s a Guinness World Records ICON.

Robert was the world’s tallest man from 1933 until his death in 1940, having taken the record from Albert Kramer when he was still a teenager.

Also known as the “Giant of Illinois” and the “Alton Giant”, Robert stood at a whopping 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) tall.

Early life

Robert Pershing Wadlow was born on 22 February 1918 to parents Harold Franklin and Addie May.

He was the oldest of five children, but none of his siblings – or his parents – were of a remarkable height.

Robert had a pituitary gland disorder called hypertrophy that caused his body to produce too much human growth hormone.

The condition is known as gigantism, and most of the tallest people have had it.

An illustration of Robert Wadlow

Robert’s condition was diagnosed by doctors at the time, but they advised his family against surgical intervention because it was simply too risky and could have killed him.

By five, he was wearing clothes intended for teenagers and Robert grew to be taller than his father by the age of eight.

In elementary school, he had to have his own special desk made for him.

He needed a custom-made uniform when he joined the Boy Scouts at age 13 and he was only 16 when he reached 8 ft, making him the tallest teenager ever.

At 18, Robert enrolled in college to study law, but soon found a different path.

By the age of 21, he was 8 ft 9 in and the tallest human that had ever been recorded.

Even then he wasn’t done growing.

Celebrity status

Robert’s dramatic height made him incredibly famous.

People were simply desperate to pose for a picture standing next to the tallest man who had ever lived.

Robert went on to travel thousands of miles around the country to make public appearances.

He even toured with the famous Ringling Brothers Circus in 1936, appearing in the centre ring (never the sideshow) in huge venues like Madison Square Garden.