High 2.71m, the Record May Never Be Broken by the Tallest Man

Robert Pershing Wadlow owns a height of up to 2.71m, weighing more than 200kg is the Guinness record holder for the title of the highest man in human history. Up to the present time, no man in the world can break this record.

Key Facts About Robert Pershing Wadlow

On February 22, 1918, boy Robert Pershing Wadlow was born in Alton, Illinois, United States with a slight weight just above normal children, 3.9 kg. All Wadlow family members have normal weight and height.

But only after birth for a short time, Wadlow began to "grow as fast as he can". The cause is due to hyperplasia of the pituitary gland, which leads to abnormally high growth hormone levels.

When he was 6 months old, Wadlow weighed 13 kg, twice the normal weight of other normal children.

At the age of 5, Wadlow had to wear clothes for a 17-year-old teenager and, when he was only 8 years old, he had the appearance equivalent to a mature man, 1.89m tall, 89kg heavier.

Why Robert Pershing Wadlow Matters

Wadlow reached a height of 2.1m at 12 years old. At 13, he became a Scout and had to repair all uniforms, sleeping bags and tents to fit his huge size. Wadlow consumes 5 times more calories than the age group.

At the age of 19, Guinness World Records recorded Wadlow as the tallest man in the world with a height of 2.61 m, a hand of 30.5 cm long and two arms stretching up to 287 cm.

On April 15, 1940, Wadlow died of an infected leg at the age of 22. At that time, he weighed 222 kg and was 2.71m high.

Wadlow was buried in a casket weighing 453 kg, 3m long. Needing 18 people to carry the coffin to be able to move the coffin and take him to the final resting place in his home town of Alton, Illinois, USA.

Most of his belongings were destroyed because the Wadlow family feared they were collected and exhibited to commemorate a strange case.