Robert Wadlow – the tallest man ever: A history of the world's tallest people

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

Robert always dressed in his own everyday clothes and refused to dress as the circus wanted him to, in a top hat and tails.

Unfortunately, it was during this time that Robert became seriously ill.

During a trip to Michigan in 1940, he noticed there was something wrong with his leg.

He’d been wearing a metal brace for a while to help support his ankle and leg while he was walking.

This brace, that was supposed to make his life easier, tragically led to his demise.

Untimely death

Because he had a lack of feeling in his extremities, Robert didn’t notice the brace rubbing against his skin.

He ended up with a wound that became infected and he spent his final days living in a hotel room that was set up as a makeshift hospital.

Doctors tried to save him with a blood transfusion, but the infection proved to be too much for him.

He died on 15 July 1940, aged just 22.

His death is all the more sad by today’s standards, knowing that an infection like this can be easily dealt with by modern medicine.

Robert was truly beloved by all who met him and was known to be a gentle giant.

His legacy lives on

Robert still holds numerous records 85 years after his death.

As well as being the tallest man ever, Robert has the following titles to his name:

• Tallest teenager ever - at the age of 17 he was 2.45 m (8 ft 0.5 in) tall
• Largest feet ever – he wore US size 37AA shoes (UK size 36 or approximately a European size 75), equivalent to 47cm (18½ in) long
• Largest hands ever – he had hands that measured 32.3 cm (12.75 in) from the wrist to the tip of his middle finger. He wore a size 25 ring.

Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday is confident that Robert will be the tallest man ever forever.

He said: “Over 18 years I’ve probably measured more of the world’s tallest people than anyone else on the planet, but I’ve never yet met anyone who comes close to the phenomenal height of the Alton Giant, Robert Wadlow.

“His stature was so unprecedented and so far beyond anyone else ever measured scientifically that I doubt we’ll ever see his likes again.”