Robert Wadlow’s story is unlike any other. By the time he was just six years old, he had already grown to 1.70 meters — the average height of a full-grown adult. By sixteen, he had reached an astonishing 2.44 meters, and he continued to grow beyond that.
Surprisingly, the rest of Robert’s family had perfectly average height. Nothing in his early years hinted that he would one day become a medical phenomenon. Robert was born with a condition known as pituitary gigantism, which caused his body to release unusually high levels of growth hormone. Today, this condition can often be managed with medical treatment — but in the early 1900s, no such options were available.
Despite the constant physical challenges and public attention, Robert was known for being kind, cheerful, and incredibly good-natured. He understood that his extraordinary size fascinated people and even entertained them at times. His giant feet — requiring size 93 shoes — were a favorite source of amazement for those who met him.
To help manage the pressure on his legs, Robert had to wear a specially made metal brace. Unfortunately, due to nerve damage in his feet, he couldn’t feel injuries that developed from wearing it. On one fateful trip, the person who normally helped him check for wounds wasn’t there. An unnoticed infection turned into blood poisoning.
Tragically, just a week later, Robert died from sepsis and a dangerously high fever. He was only 22 years old. At the time of his death, he measured 2.72 meters tall — a record that still stands, making him the tallest person ever recorded in human history.
