Taller people around us always look more attractive and grab more attention. But have you ever wondered about the tallest person in history? Well, we are here presenting the list of the Top 10 tallest people in history ever lived. So, from this list, you will be knowing their names.
A person with a height of 5 feet to 7 feet is considered tall by the general public. But in history, all enlisted tallest people had a giant height of above 8 feet.
Yes! You have read it right. I know to see an enormous height of 8 feet could be a big wonder. But it’s even possible today, as Sultan Kosen, the current tallest man in the world also has a Guinness world record of 8 feet 2.8 inches.
In the past, having excessive heights was considered a divine miracle, but in the past 100 years, we have scientific explanations for this rare occurrence.
There are specific health conditions behind the rapid growth and we have illustrated the reasons also in our list of top 10 tallest people in history ever lived.
1. Robert Wadlow (8ft 11 in)
Robert Wadlow is the tallest person in history ever lived. American Robert was a growing person until his death. His life was tragic around his height. As his giant height of 8 ft, 11 inches brought him fame as well as caused his early death only at the age of 22 years.
Robert was born and brought up in the small city of Alton, Illinois in 1918. He had hypertrophy of the pituitary gland since his birth that caused higher secretion of human growth hormone (HGH). Because there was no therapy for the condition at the time, his height continued to increase. At the age of only eight, he was taller than his father, and they had to build a special desk for him to sit at school.
By 1936, he became a celebrity and sensation with his tremendous height and was also known as ‘Alton Giant’ and ‘Giant of Illinois’. But with the enormous height, he needed to wear braces and got injured in his ankle with a faulty brace during a professional appearance at Manistee. From this injury, the infection spread in his body and he went to death sleep on June 27, 1940.
2. John Rogan (8ft 9 in)
With a measuring of 8 ft 11 in, John Rogan was the tallest person in history ever lived before Robert Wadlow. Till his 13th birthday, his physical features were naturally grown but, after this, a rapid increase had happened. After only two years of rapid growth, he was unable to walk or even stand.
He was diagnosed with gigantism, a condition where an overproduction of growth hormones happens. It was the cause of his giant height that led him to ankylosis. With the measuring of 8 ft 9 in, he weighed only 205 pounds, while at the time of his death in 1905 weighed only 105 pounds. That’s why he’s been called a “living skeleton” by many. He died due to the complications of ankylosis.
Throughout his life, he rejected many offers to join carnivals and spent his life as a painter. He used to sell postcards, and portraits in a train station and made his living out of it.
3. John F. Carroll (8ft 7 in)
John F. Carrol is another man on our list who was a little shorter than 9 ft. Carroll suffered from many diseases throughout his short life span. After 16 he faced massive growth in his body and reached nearly 8 ft 7 inches until his death.
After Wadlow and John Rogan he is also an American giant born in Buffalo, New York. In medical history, he is renowned as the ‘Buffalo Giant’. There was a point where he grew eight inches in a single year.
He suffered from acromegalic gigantism and severe Kyphoscoliosis that affected his spine badly. He had severe spinal curvature that it was hard to measure him correctly. Later he measured 7 ft 10 in due to the shrinkage of his spine. He passed away in 1969 in the war of many ailments he was suffering from.
4. Franz Winkelmeier (8ft 6 in)
Franz Winkelmeier has managed to occupy the fourth position in our list with the measurement of 8 ft 6 inches. Famous doctor Rudolf Virchow in London officially measured his height. He was born in 1860 to a mercenary family in Lengau, Upper Austria. After 14 years, the anomaly in his growth had been seen. Though it is not clear what was the reason behind his growth.
He made several public appearances in his life. Even Emperor Wilhelm’s tallest warriors appear dwarfed in comparison. Due to his height, he was hired and presented to Queen Victoria on 22 June 1887 in London. The very next month, he died due to tuberculosis and was buried in Lengau.
5. Väinö Myllyrinne (8ft 3 in)
At a time, Väinö Myllyrinne was the world’s tallest man. He finished his life at 8ft 3 in. He lived a nice and dynamic life where he served his country as well. Despite his height, he was a strong man as well. He was in Finnish Defence Forces as a soldier and He is the tallest soldier in history ever lived.
Before joining the Defence Forces, he was a professional wrestler and circus performer as well. He had acromegaly that caused excessive production of growth hormone and led him to 8ft 3 in. Even at the age of 21, he was 7ft 4 in but, the second growth spurt hit him in his thirties.
6. Édouard Beaupré (8ft 3 in)
Canadian giant, Édouard Beaupré is another person who reached up to 8ft 3 in before his death. Eduard was born in a small town called Willow Bunch in Saskatchewan in 1881. He was an extremely tall child and only at 9 he was already 6ft. He was an excellent cowboy but, at 17 with the giant height of 7ft 3in, he needed to leave that profession.
Afterward, he joined a circus and started touring the world. In those shows, he used to display his strengths by lifting weight and large horses. At just 23, he died due to the complications of tuberculosis. After his death, the University of Montreal wanted to research his body. Hence there was a battle over the ownership of his body between his family and the University of Montreal. At last, the university gave his body to the family members.
7. Sultan Kösen (8ft 2.82in)
Turkish farmer, Sultan Kosen is the tallest living person in the world. He has several Guinness world records on his name with the incredible height of 8ft 2.82in. Born in 1982, Sultan Kosen is a part-time farmer and joined the Magic circus of Samoa in 2014. He carries the Guinness world record of current largest hand 27.5 cm and second-largest feet 36.5 cm.
Like most of the tallest people, he also suffered from gigantism and acromegaly causing his incredible growth. His pituitary gland tumors had been treated since 2010, and his growth had stopped by 2012.
8. Trijntje Keever (8ft 2in)
Trijntje Keever is the only woman on our list of the world’s tallest persons, as well as the tallest female in history. She was born in Edam, a small town in the Netherlands in 1616. From the age of nine, she was a wonder of Europe. From that age with a height of 6ft, 7in she was taller than every man in Europe.
Her parents presented her to carnivals to earn money. Many people and even princes and princesses came to see the wonder child. She was 8ft 2 in at aged 17 when she died of cancer. Many people predict that she was affected by acromegaly. In her hometown, a portrait of her has been found, drawn by an unknown artist.
9. Don Koehler (8ft 2in)
The 9th person on our list was also affected with gigantism and reached a massive 8ft 2in before his death. He was the tallest living man in his era. He was a civilian of the United States born to average-height parents. Between him and his twin sister, there was a record difference of 2 ft 5 in, it’s also a Guinness World record.
Once he got the opportunity to play basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters but he declined the offer. At the late phase of his life, he suffered from spine curvature due to Kyphosis and died in 1981.
10. Bernard A. Coyne (8ft)
Bernard has also managed to secure a spot among the top 20 people who have ever achieved the height of 8 feet. Many sources report at the time of his death, he was 8ft 4 in but the information is not confirmed. Whereas, his World War I draft registration card reported his height of 8ft.
He was also the victim of gigantism. According to the Guinness World record book, he refused to join the army. For his giant feet, he needed to wear 24-size shoes. He died in 1921 in Anthon.
