Robert Wadlow, The Tallest Man Ever In Recorded Human History, 1936

Robert Pershing Wadlow holds the record for being the tallest man in the world. However, this 8 feet, 11 inches tall “gentle giant” had a concise life. On February 22, 1919, Addie Wadlow gave birth to Robert Pershing Wadlow in Alton, Illinois, who weighed 8.7 pounds at birth.

He began to grow, and he grew astonishingly fast that at six months, he weighed 30 pounds, twice the average baby’s weight. By the time he celebrated his first year, he had weighed 45 pounds and was 3 feet, 3.5 inches tall.

At the time, Robert Pershing Wadlow was five years old. He was 5 feet, 4 inches tall and wearing clothes that belonged to teenagers. He was taller than his father, who stood at 5 feet, 11 inches by his eighth birthday.

When he was just a child, he was about 6 feet tall and taller than most adults. When Robert Pershing Wadlow turned 13, he became the world’s tallest Boy Scout at 7 feet, 4 inches. He needed to have his uniform specially made as none of the uniforms fit. 

When he graduated high school, Robert Pershing Wadlow was 8 feet, 4 inches tall. This wasn’t the end as he hadn’t stopped growing. Doctors finally diagnosed Robert Wadlow when he was 12 with hyperplasia of the pituitary gland; this condition resulted in his rapid and excessive growth because of an abnormally high level of growth hormones in his body. 

The surgeons were terrified of harming Robert Pershing Wadlow, so they didn’t operate on him, and they weren’t so sure they could help him. This meant they left him to grow as he was while his parents tried as much as possible to make his life every day. 

His schools had to construct unique chairs for him, and as the first of his siblings, he participated in the same activities. He collected stamps and found photography fun. He became a Freemason. He soon began experiencing a lack of feeling in his legs and feet as he grew older because of his height. This meant he overlooked issues like blisters or infections unless he looked for them.

He eventually used leg braces and a walking stick. He began to tour with the Ringling Brothers and their travelling circus and became famous. He became a brand ambassador for Peters Shoe Company. He also lived a tranquil life, playing the guitar till his hands became a problem. 

His leg braces injured his ankle, which soon became infected. The doctors tried their best, but on July 15, 1940, Robert Wadlow died at age 22. His last measured height was 8 feet, 11.1 inches. To date, nobody has broken his record.