The Tallest Man In History Died At 22 In A Michigan Hotel Room
On this day in history, the tallest man in world history died in Michigan.
Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, reached an astonishing 8 feet 11.1 inches before his tragic passing at just 22 years old, forever marking human growth records.
On February 22, 1918, in a small Illinois town called Alton, just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, a baby was born who would later make world history. His name was Robert Wadlow.
The Guinness World Book of Records verified that Robert Wadlow was the tallest man in the world at a staggering 8 feet and 11.1 inches tall. Along with that towering height was a lot of body mass, as he weighed in at 490 pounds.
This massive young man grew like a weed on steroids through his childhood and kept growing until his very early death. Wadlow was 6 feet 2 at the age of nine.
In July of 1940, Wadlow was making an appearance in Manistee, Michigan, when a fatal infection set in, according to the Alton Museum of History and Art,
On July 4th, doctors had Robert confined to a hotel bed, unable to find suitable accommodations at the local hospital. Days later, after emergency surgery and blood transfusions, the infection lingered, and his temperature continued to rise. At 1:30 a.m. on the 15th of July, Robert Wadlow passed away in his sleep.
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To say that Robert Wadlow's height is rare would be an understatement. Below are the 3 tallest humans whose height was verified according to Wikipedia.
Tallest Humans in World History
- Robert Wadlow, from the United States. Height: 8 ft 11.1 (1918–1940)
- John Rogan, from the United States. Height: 8 ft 9 (1867–1905)
- John F. Carroll, from the United States. Height: 8 ft 8 (1932–1969)
The tallest person currently living is Sultan Kösen of Turkey, who is 8 feet 2.8 inches tall.
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