The Story Of Robert Wadlow, The Tallest Man That Ever Lived

There are tall and short people all around the world, but people are more noticed when they are very tall or very short. In this article, I will be telling you about Robert Pershing Wadlow, the tallest man that has ever lived.


Robert Pershing Wadlow was born in Illinois, USA in 1918. He grew very fast that by the time he was eight years old, he was already taller than his father everyone in his town. He had four younger siblings, but they did not grow as tall as him. A special desk had to be constructed for him when he was in primary school.


His fast increase in height was caused by an abnormally high level of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). He continued to grow even when he became an adult, by the time he was 22 years old, doctors measured him and his height was 8 feet and 11 inches. He needed to grow only one more inch to become 9 feet tall. He was recorded and certified as the tallest human being that has ever lived.
Because of his height, no shoe could fit his leg, he had to wear leg braces and extra large customized shoes. A company (The International Shoe Company) decided to endorse him and made shoes that were big enough for him.






In 1940, he had an ankle injury, it was caused by his brace. He had to be treated with surgery and blood transfusion, but the treatments could not save him.
The injury later led to his death on July 15, 1940. He was buried in a coffin that was 10 feet tall, his coffin was very big and heavy that it had to be carried by 20 people.
Some years after his death, a life-size statue of him was built near the Alton Museum of History and Art in 1986.


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