The Tallest Man Living is one of Guinness World Records’ most iconic titles.
Tallness has long been a sign of greatness and success in history. The Chinese held it desirous for men to be tall, wealthy, and handsome—tallness coming nominally first. Our times have seen several men of towering stature, whose height has garnered celebrity, steep challenges, and in some cases romance.
1. Sultan Kösen
The current title for the Tallest Man Living is held by Sultan Kösen, 39, from Turkey, who, at age 9, became the first man over 8 feet to be measured by Guinness in over 20 years. Guinness has confirmed only 10 reliable cases of men reaching 8 feet in history.Born on Dec. 10, 1982, Kösen did not experience his growth spurt until age 10. The rest of his family, including his parents, were of average size. Due to his height, he didn’t finish school and instead he began working as a farmer to support his family.
Kösen towered a breathtaking 8 feet, 1 inch (246.5 cm) tall when he was measured in February 2009 and claimed the title for the first time. Two years later, at age 26, he broke this record, measuring 8 feet, 2.8 inches (251 cm).
Kösen’s humongous height was caused by a condition called pituitary gigantism where there is an overproduction of growth hormone in the pituitary gland. This resulted in his hands growing to an incredible 11.22 inches (28.5 cm) from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger, and setting the record for the Largest Hands on a Living Person.
He cites some advantages of being so tall, such as being able to help his mom replace broken lightbulbs and hang curtains. He is a basketball fan and can slam dunk without his feet leaving the ground, though he was unable to play ball in school because he was too tall.
Some of the disadvantages of his height include finding clothes and shoes that fit his lanky limbs. Kösen’s left foot measures 1 foot, 2.4 inches (36.5 cm), while his right measures 1 foot, 2.0 inches (35.5 cm) in length. It’s also terribly difficult for Kösen to fit in a car.
Thankfully, after gaining exposure through Guinness, the gentle giant received revolutionary gamma knife surgery from the University of Virginia on the tumor affecting his pituitary gland, which stopped him from getting any taller.
2. Bao Xi Shun
Prior to Kösen, the title holder of the Tallest Man Living was Bao Xi Shun, a goat herder from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. Born in 1951, by his own account he remained normal in height until the age of 16. He then served in the People’s Liberation Army for three years before returning to Inner Mongolia to live with his mother.He claimed the title of Tallest Man Living in 2005, then measuring a knee-wobbling 7 feet, 9 inches (236 cm), towering 3 inches above former Chinese pro basketball player Yao Ming’s 7 feet, 6 inches.
Bao’s tallness resulted from an autoimmune condition called rheumatism, which can cause pain and inflammation in the joints and connective tissues of the body.
He is famous for reportedly helping save the lives of two dolphins in December 2006 by removing shards of plastic from their stomachs. Bao allegedly used his 3.47-foot- (1.06 meter-) long arms to reach into the dolphins’ stomachs to retrieve the sharp objects with his hands.
3. Robert Wadlow
Last but certainly not least, the late Illinoisan Robert Wadlow is still the titleholder of the Tallest Man Ever.Wadlow was born an average-size baby on Feb. 22, 1918, weighing 8.7 pounds (3.85 kg). His two parents were also of average size, as were his four younger siblings.
Wadlow started to shoot up from there onward. At age 5, he measured a staggering 5 feet, 4 inches (1.63 meters), and was already wearing clothes intended for teenagers. By the age of 8, he'd surpassed his 5 foot, 11 inches (180.3 cm) dad, Harold F. Wadlow, in height, and was even able to carry him up the stairs of their family home.
Wadlow’s height caused him a number of medical issues which only worsened as he grew older and taller.
He endeavored to participate in the same activities as his peers and became a Boy Scout at the age of 13. This required him to get a custom-made uniform, tent, and sleeping bag.
He garnered the title of the Tallest Teenager Ever at age 16, when he reached 8 feet, 0.5 inches (2.45 meters). He graduated from high school in 1936 and then enrolled in college to pursue a career in law.
Later that year, Wadlow’s soaring height led him to fame, and he embarked on a tour with the hugely popular Ringling Brothers Circus.
Doctors examined Wadlow and determined that his exceptional size, like Kösen’s, resulted from pituitary gigantism causing excessive levels of human growth hormone. But unlike Kösen, Wadlow never received treatment to stop it.
The mild-mannered American was last measured on June 27, 1940, then stretching a staggering 8 feet, 11.1 inches (2.72 meters) tall—a record that hasn’t been broken to this day.
Wadlow has claimed other records, including the Largest Feet Ever, his tootsies measuring a jaw-dropping 18.5 inches (47 cm) long—enough to fill a US size 37AA. Back then, his shoes cost as much as $100, equal to about $1,700 in today’s currency. Additionally, he boasted the Largest Hands Ever, with his measuring 12.7 inches (32.3 centimeters) from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger.
But Wadlow also had difficulty getting around. He wore leg braces and used a walking stick. It was his legs that eventually caused his premature death at age 22, on July 15, 1940. He died in a hotel in Manistee, Michigan, from a septic blister on his right ankle caused by his brace, which had been poorly fitted just a week earlier.
In 1986, this human being of unsurpassed stature was honored with his own life-sized statue, which was erected on College Avenue in Alton, opposite the Alton Museum of History and Art. Meanwhile, a number of life-size likenesses of the herculean American continue to stand in museums across the world.
