"Robert Wadlow Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940), also known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois, was an American who became famous as the tallest person in recorded history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. He was born and raised in Alton, Illinois. Wadlow reached in height and weighed 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 (HGH). He showed no indication of an end to his"
"Don Koehler Donald A. Koehler (September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981) is one of 17 known people in medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest living 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 Denton, Montana, United States. Koehler and his twin sister were born to parents of above average height. Their mother was 178 cm (5'10""); their father was"
"it was a job that spared him from living in any ""freak show business"". Later in life, he suffered from the medical condition kyphosis, resulting in (often severe) curvature of the spine. Koehler died in 1981 in Chicago from a reported heart condition, by which time he was estimated to be about 239 cm (7'10"") tall. He was 55 years old. Don Koehler Donald A. Koehler (September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981) is one of 17 known people in medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest"
"John Rogan John William Bud Rogan (February 16, 1868 – September 12, 1905) was an American man who was the second tallest person in recorded history, surpassed only by Robert Wadlow. Rogan, the son of William Rogan, a former slave, was born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on February 16, 1868. He was the fourth of twelve children. He began to grow very rapidly at the age of 13, leading to ankylosis (abnormal rigidity of the skeletal joints). The disease hindered, and by 1882, he could not stand or walk. By 1899, he had grown to a height of 8 ft 6"
"known as Daddy Long-Legs Syndrome. He was the tallest person in the world at the time of his death when, like Robert Wadlow, he was still growing. He reportedly wore size 24 (American) shoes. Bernard Coyne died in 1921. He is buried in Anthon, Iowa, in a specially-made, extra-large coffin. Bernard Coyne (giant) Bernard A. Coyne (July 27, 1897May 20, 1921) is one of only 17 individuals in medical history to have stood 8 feet tall or more. Coyne may have reached a height of tall at the time of his death in 1921. His World War I draft registration"
"Records"" stated that he was the tallest living man in their 1988 edition. Monjane died in January 1990 after a fall at his home, after which Suleiman Ali Nashnush, another African, was named the tallest living man. Gabriel Estêvão Monjane Gabriel Estêvão Monjane (1944 – 1990) is one of only seventeen individuals in medical history to have reached eight feet or more in height. Born in Manjacaze, Gaza Province, Mozambique, Monjane's abnormal growth, attributed to an overactive pituitary gland, started soon after birth. By the time he was 17, Monjane stood 7 feet 10 inches. He joined a Portuguese circus."
"Sandy Allen Sandra Elaine Allen (June 18, 1955 – August 13, 2008) was an American woman recognized as the tallest woman in the world during her life according to the Guinness World Records. She was tall. Allen wrote a book, ""Cast A Giant Shadow"", and appeared in the ""Guinness Book of World Records"" since 1976. Although over the years other women have taken over the title, Allen had held it for the last sixteen years of her life. Her height was due to a tumor in her pituitary gland that caused it to release growth hormone uncontrollably. At the age"
"Al Tomaini Aurelio ""Al"" Tomaini (February 25, 1912 - August 30, 1962), was once the world's tallest individual. Tomaini claimed a height of 8 feet, 5½ inches; however, he was really 7 feet, 4 inches. Tomaini was the son of Santo Tomaini and Maria Bossone. At the age of 12, he was taller than his father, who stood 6 feet, 3 inches tall. He had a great-grandfather in Italy who was also of abnormal height. His parents consulted a physician who, through the use of X-rays, discovered the cause of his giantism to be an over-active pituitary gland. Tomaini was"
"Mills Darden Mills Darden (October 7, 1799 – January 23, 1857) was an American who became famous as one of the largest men ever in human history. His enormous size both in terms of his body weight and height made him one of the biggest humans to have ever lived. He was officially confirmed to have stood at a height of tall and weighed around , and possibly even more. His recorded approximate weight of would have given him a body mass index of 88.2. If the reported figures are correct, Darden was 30 percent taller than and about six"
"by the local Development Authority. No known verifiable photo remains of him. Mills Darden Mills Darden (October 7, 1799 – January 23, 1857) was an American who became famous as one of the largest men ever in human history. His enormous size both in terms of his body weight and height made him one of the biggest humans to have ever lived. He was officially confirmed to have stood at a height of tall and weighed around , and possibly even more. His recorded approximate weight of would have given him a body mass index of 88.2. If the reported"
"Igor Vovkovinskiy Igor Vovkovinskiy ( (aka ""Igor Ladan"") born September 18, 1982) is a Ukrainian-American law student, interviewee, and actor, best known for being the current tallest person living in the United States, at , overtaking the record from George Bell. Originally from Ukraine, Vovkovinskiy moved to Rochester, Minnesota in 1989 (at the age of seven) to be treated at the Mayo Clinic. At that time he was already 5 ft 4 in tall and weighed 110 pounds. Most recently, he has acted in commercials and films, notably the 2011 comedy film ""Hall Pass"", and also became well known for"
"died from the effects of the disease gigantism. No hearse could be found to accommodate his nine feet four inch casket encased in lead, and his remains were borne to the grave by relays of fourteen men. In his will, Cotter left £2,000 to his mother and a request that his body be entombed within twelve feet of solid rock (to prevent exhumation for scientific or medical research). In 1972 his remains were examined and it was determined that, while alive, he stood approximately 8 feet 1 inch (246 cm) tall. This made him the tallest person ever at that"
"join the carnival and side shows. Rogan's hands measured in length and his feet measured in length. He grew to tall but weighed only 205 pounds. Rogan is the tallest person of African descent, and remains the second tallest person on record, surpassed only by Robert Wadlow. Rogan died on September 12, 1905, due to complications from his ankylosis. John Rogan John William Bud Rogan (February 16, 1868 – September 12, 1905) was an American man who was the second tallest person in recorded history, surpassed only by Robert Wadlow. Rogan, the son of William Rogan, a former slave, was"
"Bernard Coyne (giant) Bernard A. Coyne (July 27, 1897May 20, 1921) is one of only 17 individuals in medical history to have stood 8 feet tall or more. Coyne may have reached a height of tall at the time of his death in 1921. His World War I draft registration card, dated on August 29, 1918, lists his height as 8 feet. The Guinness Book of World Records stated that he was refused induction into the Army (1918) when he stood at a height of 7 feet 9 inches. Coyne was the tallest ever eunuchoidal infantile giant, a condition also"
"Yao Defen Yao Defen () of China, (July 15, 1972 – November 13, 2012) was the tallest living woman, as recognized by Guinness World Records. She stood at 234 centimetres (7 ft 8 in) tall, weighed , and had size 23 (US) feet. Her gigantism was due to a tumor in her pituitary gland. Yao Defen was born to poor farmers in the town of Liuan in the Anhui province of Shucheng County. At birth she weighed . When she was eleven years old she was about 180 centimetres (6 ft 2 in) tall. She was 206 centimetres (6 ft"
"at Shelbyville High School. Sandy Allen Sandra Elaine Allen (June 18, 1955 – August 13, 2008) was an American woman recognized as the tallest woman in the world during her life according to the Guinness World Records. She was tall. Allen wrote a book, ""Cast A Giant Shadow"", and appeared in the ""Guinness Book of World Records"" since 1976. Although over the years other women have taken over the title, Allen had held it for the last sixteen years of her life. Her height was due to a tumor in her pituitary gland that caused it to release growth hormone"
"holds many of the dead from the epidemic and a memorial marks the site. Often when Confederate prisoners escaped, they tried to cross the Mississippi River back to the slave state of Missouri. Robert Pershing Wadlow, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest documented man at 8 feet 11.1 inches tall, 2,72 m, is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in the area known as Upper Alton. The earth over his grave was raised so visitors can compare its length to other graves. A memorial to him, including a life-sized statue and a replica of his chair, stands"
"Väinö Myllyrinne Väinö Myllyrinne (27 February 1909 – 13 April 1963)) was an acromegalic giant who was at one time (1940?–1963) the world's tallest living person, and may have become the tallest after the death of Robert Wadlow. He stood and weighed at the age of 21, but experienced a second phase of growth in his late thirties, attaining a height of and weighing 376 pounds. Myllyrinne was born in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, and is considered the tallest soldier ever, having served in the Finnish Defence Forces. He underwent his conscript training in 1929 in the Viipuri Heavy"
"Jon Brower Minnoch Jon Brower Minnoch (September 30, 1941 – September 10, 1983) was an American man who, at his peak weight, was the heaviest human being ever recorded, weighing approximately . This figure was only a close estimation because his extreme size, declining health, and lack of mobility prevented use of a scale. At the age of 12, Minnoch weighed , and by age 22 he was in height and weighed . Minnoch's weight continued to increase steadily until his hospitalization in March 1978 at age 36 due to cardiac and respiratory failure. That same year, he broke a"
"4 April 1941, Dr. D. W. Hoodless of the Central Medical School examined the bones, took measurements, and wrote a report. Using Karl Pearson's formulas for stature and the lengths of the femur, tibia, and humerus, Hoodless concluded that the person was about tall. Hoodless also wrote ""it may be definitely stated that the skeleton is that of a MALE."" [Emphasis in original.] Hoodless further stated, ""Owing to the weather-beaten condition of all the bones it is impossible to be dogmatic in regard to the age of the person at the time of death, but I am of the opinion"
"1983, aged 41. At the time of his death, he weighed with a Body Mass Index of 105.3. Jon Brower Minnoch Jon Brower Minnoch (September 30, 1941 – September 10, 1983) was an American man who, at his peak weight, was the heaviest human being ever recorded, weighing approximately . This figure was only a close estimation because his extreme size, declining health, and lack of mobility prevented use of a scale. At the age of 12, Minnoch weighed , and by age 22 he was in height and weighed . Minnoch's weight continued to increase steadily until his hospitalization"
"wearing a T-shirt that read ""World's Biggest Obama Supporter."" He is also the first tallest living person from two countries. In 2013, Vovkovinskiy joined singer Zlata Ognevich as part of Ukraine's stage performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. Vovkovinskiy's height has been attributed to having a tumor pressing on his pituitary gland, causing his body to have released excessive amounts of growth hormone. Igor Vovkovinskiy Igor Vovkovinskiy ( (aka ""Igor Ladan"") born September 18, 1982) is a Ukrainian-American law student, interviewee, and actor, best known for being the current tallest person living in the United States, at , overtaking"
"Clifford Thompson Clifford Marshall Thompson (October 18, 1904 – October 15, 1955) was one of the world's tallest men, and remains the tallest man to ever appear in a Hollywood film. Although born in Rugby, North Dakota, as a child Thompson moved with his parents to Scandinavia, Wisconsin. He claimed to be and weigh , but his actual height was about . He was known as ""The Scandinavian Giant,"" ""The Wisconsin Paul Bunyan,"" and ""Count Olaf"". Thompson appeared in many Hollywood films, including ""A Day in the Life of a Giant"" and ""Seal Skins"". Later he enrolled in Marquette University"
"said he has a medical condition called gigantism, which causes excessive growth hormone secretion during childhood. He said he does not suffer from some of the other effects of gigantism, such as an enlarged heart, although he does have to take some medicines for the rest of his life. George Bell (basketball) George Bell (born 1957) is the former tallest man in the United States at as recognized by Guinness World Records. Igor Vovkovinskiy was declared the tallest living man in the United States in 2010. He is a deputy sheriff in Norfolk, Virginia and previously played college basketball at"
"Julius Koch Julius Koch (1872 – 30 March 1902), also known as ""Le Geant Constantin"", was one of seventeen people in medical history who have surpassed eight feet (244 cm) in height. He was a victim of the malady eunuchoidal-infantile gigantism (daddy-longlegs syndrome). His height, 245.9 centimeters, (8 feet, 0.8 inches) was estimated, as his legs were amputated after they developed gangrene. He was probably never the world's tallest person due to his life coinciding with that of John Rogan, who likewise suffered from gigantism. Koch's femurs were the longest on record - 76 centimeters (29.9 inches) - and his"
"Colonel Routh Goshen Routh Goshen, born Arthur James Caley (1824 – February 12, 1889) was most commonly known as Colonel Routh Goshen or the Arabian Giant or the Palestine Giant. He was billed as the tallest man in the world at 7 ft, 11 inches (2.41 m) and 620 pounds (280 kg) but was most likely no more than 7 ft, 5 inches (2.26 m) and 400 pounds (180 kg). His true origins were kept secret from the public during his performance years in the United States and were obscured by the many apocryphal biographies that were created to publicize"
"and Brooklyn. They had two daughters, Christina and Virginia. Maloney was an accomplished mountaineer who at the time of his death was believed to be the oldest American ever to summit an ""Eight-thousander"", one of the fourteen peaks in the world that are greater than 8,000 meters in altitude. He climbed five of the ""Seven Summits"", the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents, including Denali in Alaska, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, the Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Aconcagua in the Andes, and Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus. On September 24, 2009, at the age of 71, Maloney summited the"
"George Bell (basketball) George Bell (born 1957) is the former tallest man in the United States at as recognized by Guinness World Records. Igor Vovkovinskiy was declared the tallest living man in the United States in 2010. He is a deputy sheriff in Norfolk, Virginia and previously played college basketball at Morris Brown College, Biola University and with the Harlem Wizards and Harlem Globetrotters show teams. Bell was featured on the AMC show Freakshow, throughout its two seasons. In an interview for the show, he revealed that he had appeared as an alien who landed on top of the L.A."
"he appeared on ""The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien"". Titan died 31 March 2010 due to complications resulting from a ruptured intestine. Following the former record holder's death, Gibson, there was a period of nomination to the Guinness World Records. Contenders included Boomer, a Landseer Newfoundland from North Dakota who registered in the race at 180 lbs, 7 feet long and 36 inches tall at the shoulder. Another contender was George, a male Great Dane from Arizona, weighing in at 245 pounds and a height at the shoulder of some 42 inches. However, George's height has been in question since"
"times as heavy as the average American male of the 21st century. Mills (or Miles) Darden was born on October 7, 1799, near Rich Square, North Carolina, United States, to John and Mary Darden. He was married at least once and had several children. His wife Mary, who died in 1837 aged about 40, was tall and weighed , and the tallest of their sons reached (tall for an era when the average adult American male stood only about ). He died on January 23, 1857. He was buried in Lexington, Tennessee. His grave, and his wife's, have been restored"
"Alam Channa Haji Mohammad Alam Channa (1953 in Sehwan, Sindh province, Pakistan – 2 July 1998 in New York City) was one of the tallest living people with the height of . According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the tallest living man in the world (between 1982 and 1998), was Pakistan’s Mohammad Alam Channa. Before his death in 1998, Channa was reported to be tall. Born in 1953 in the city of Sehwan (in Pakistan’s Sindh province), Alam Channa is said to have stood 6 ft 4 inches by the time he was 18. He continued to grow"
"William Bradley (giant) William Bradley (10 February 1787 – 30 May 1820), known more commonly as Giant Bradley or the Yorkshire Giant, is the tallest recorded British man that ever lived, measuring . Bradley was taller than Bao Xishun, who was recognised as world's tallest living man by Guinness World Records between 2005 and 2007. Born in Market Weighton within the East Riding of Yorkshire, William was the fourth son in a family of thirteen and weighed 14 pounds (6.35 kg) at birth. His father, a master tailor measured , while his siblings and mother Anne were of average size,"
"petitioned Franklin Lodge #25 in Alton, Illinois, and by late November of that year was raised to the degree of Master Mason under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. and A.M.. His Freemason ring was the largest ever made. One year before his death, Wadlow passed John Rogan as the tallest person ever. On June 27, 1940 (18 days before his death), he was measured at by doctors C. M. Charles and Cyril MacBryde of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. On July 4, 1940, during a professional appearance at the Manistee National Forest Festival, a faulty"