Getting your name recorded in the Guinness World Records is not a bed of roses for an ordinary person. Yet, some of us achieve this honor due to our unique talents, virtues, or personalities. Some hold records for being the shortest or tallest, the fastest or slowest qualities that have made them famous worldwide. Robert Pershing Wadlow had such a remarkable distinction: he was the tallest man ever recorded, and his record still stands after his death. Let’s explore some lesser-known aspects of his life:
Who Was Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man)?
Robert Pershing Wadlow was born on February 22, 1918 . He died on July 15, 1940. He was famously known as the Alton Giant or Giant of Illinois, holds the record as the tallest person in documented history. He was born and raised in Alton, Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri. Wadlow reached a height of 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at the time of his death at age 22. His extraordinary growth was caused by hypertrophy of the pituitary gland, leading to abnormally high levels of human growth hormone (HGH).
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Early Life
Wadlow was the eldest of five children. His parents were Harold Franklin Wadlow and Addie May (Johnson) Wadlow. By the age of eight, he was taller than his father, requiring a special desk in school.
Robert Pershing (Tallest Man) Wadlow Education
He actively participated in the German and Camera clubs at school. By the time he graduated from Alton High School in 1936, he was already 8 ft 4 in (254 cm) tall. Wadlow later enrolled at Shurtleff College, intending to study law.
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Physical Condition
Despite his size, Wadlow required leg braces for walking and had limited feeling in his legs and feet, though he never used a wheelchair. He maintained considerable physical strength until the final days of his life.
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Career
Wadlow gained fame after touring with the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1936, performing at venues like Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden, always appearing in everyday clothes, refusing to dress as a circus “freak.” In 1938, he began a promotional tour with the International Shoe Company, which provided him shoes, emphasizing advertising rather than exhibition.
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Affiliations
Wadlow was a member of the Order of DeMolay and later became a Master Mason under the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. and A.M.
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Height
In 1939, Wadlow surpassed John Rogan as the tallest person recorded. On June 27, 1940, he was officially measured at 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m).
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Death
On July 4, 1940, a faulty leg brace caused an ankle injury that became infected. Despite treatment, he passed away in his sleep on July 15, 1940. His coffin measured 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) long, 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m) wide, and 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) deep, weighing over 1,000 lb (450 kg). Twelve pallbearers and eight assistants carried it to his burial at Oakwood Cemetery in Alton, Illinois.
Robert Pershing Wadlow (Tallest Man) Legacy
A life-size statue of Wadlow was installed in 1986 at the Alton Museum of History and Art. He remains a Guinness World Records ICON in 2025, remembered as one of the most extraordinary individuals in human history.
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