Robert Wadlow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Wadlow
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Wadlow (left) with his father
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| Born |
Robert Pershing Wadlow
February 22, 1918 Alton, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | July 15, 1940 (aged 22) Manistee, Michigan, U.S.
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| Other names |
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| Known for | Verified tallest human in Recorded History |
| Height | 8 ft 11.1 in (272.0 cm) |
Robert Pershing Wadlow (born February 22, 1918 – died July 15, 1940) was an American man known as the tallest person ever recorded in history. People also called him the Alton Giant or the Giant of Illinois. He grew up in Alton, Illinois, a small city close to St. Louis, Missouri.
When Robert passed away at age 22, he was 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) tall. He weighed about 439 lb (199 kg). His amazing size and constant growth were because of a condition called hypertrophy of his pituitary gland. This meant his body made too much human growth hormone (HGH).
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Robert's Early Life
Robert Wadlow was born in Alton, Illinois, on February 22, 1918. He was the oldest of five children born to Harold Franklin and Addie May Wadlow. By the time he was 8 years old, Robert was already taller than his father!
In elementary school, a special desk had to be made just for him. When he graduated from Alton High School in 1936, he was 8 ft 4 in (254 cm) tall. After high school, he went to Shurtleff College because he wanted to study law.
Robert's Adult Life
Because of his height, Robert needed special leg braces to help him walk. He also had very little feeling in his legs and feet. Even with these challenges, he never used a wheelchair.
Robert became famous after he toured the U.S. with the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1936. He appeared at famous places like Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden. He was always in the main ring, never in the side show. Robert wore his regular clothes and did not want to wear a top hat or fancy tails like the circus asked.
In 1938, he started working with the International Shoe Company. They gave him shoes for free. Robert saw himself as working in advertising, not as a "freak" show. He was very strong almost until the end of his life.
Robert was also a member of the Order of DeMolay, which is an organization for young men sponsored by the Freemasons. By November 1939, he became a master mason.
Just one year before he passed away, Robert Wadlow became the tallest person ever recorded, passing John Rogan. On June 27, 1940, which was 18 days before his death, doctors measured him at 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m).
Robert's Death
On July 4, 1940, Robert was at a festival in the Manistee National Forest. A problem with his leg brace caused his ankle to get irritated. This led to a serious infection. Doctors tried to help him with a blood transfusion and surgery. However, his condition got worse because of an autoimmune disease. Robert passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 15, 1940.
His coffin was very large, measuring 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) long, 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m) wide, and 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) deep. It weighed over 1,000 lb (450 kg). Twelve pallbearers and eight helpers were needed to carry it. Robert was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois.
In 1986, a life-size statue of Robert Wadlow was put up across from the Alton Museum of History and Art.
Robert's Height and Weight Chart
This table shows how tall and heavy Robert Wadlow was at different ages.
| Age | Height | Weight | Notes | Size of | Date |
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| Birth | 1 ft 8 in (0.51 m) | 8 lb 5 oz (3.8 kg) | Normal height and weight for a baby. | Average newborn | February 22, 1918 |
| 6 months | 2 ft 10+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) | 30 lb (14 kg) | 2-year-old | August 22, 1918 | |
| 1 year | 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) | 45 lb (20 kg) | When he began to walk at 11 months, he was 3 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.00 m) tall and weighed 40 lb (18 kg). | 5-year-old | February 22, 1919 |
| 18 months | 4 ft 3+1⁄4 in (1.30 m) | 67 lb (30 kg) | 8-year-old | August 22, 1919 | |
| 2 years | 4 ft 6+1⁄4 in (1.38 m) | 75 lb (34 kg) | 10-year-old | 1920 | |
| 3 years | 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m) | 89 lb (40 kg) | 12-year-old | 1921 | |
| 4 years | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | 105 lb (48 kg) | 14-year-old | 1922 | |
| 5 years | 5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.69 m) | 140 lb (64 kg) | At 5 years old, in kindergarten, Robert was 5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.69 m) tall. He wore clothes that would fit a 17-year-old boy. | 15-year-old | 1923 |
| 6 years | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | 146 lb (66 kg) | Average adult male (global). | 1924 | |
| 7 years | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 159 lb (72 kg) | Average adult male in the United States. | 1925 | |
| 8 years | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 169 lb (77 kg) | Average adult male in the Netherlands. | 1926 | |
| 9 years | 6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Weighing 180 lb (82 kg), he was strong enough to carry his father (who was sitting in a living room chair) up the stairs. | 1927 | |
| 10 years | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 211 lb (96 kg) | 1928 | ||
| 11 years | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 241 lb (109 kg) | 1929 | ||
| 12 years | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 287 lb (130 kg) | 1930 | ||
| 13 years | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | World's tallest Boy Scout. He grew about 4 inches (10 cm) each year since birth and wore size 19 (U.S.) shoes. | 1931 | |
| 14 years | 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) | 331 lb (150 kg) | 1932 | ||
| 15 years | 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) | 354 lb (161 kg) | 1933 | ||
| 16 years | 8 ft 1+1⁄4 in (2.47 m) | 374 lb (170 kg) | 1934 | ||
| 17 years | 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) | 382 lb (173 kg) | He graduated from high school on January 8, 1936 (before he turned 18). | Height of Sultan Kösen, the tallest currently living man. | 1935 |
| 18 years | 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) | 391 lb (177 kg) | 1936 | ||
| 19 years | 8 ft 6+1⁄2 in (2.60 m) | 480 lb (220 kg) | 1937 | ||
| 20 years | 8 ft 7+1⁄4 in (2.62 m) | 488 lb (221 kg) | 1938 | ||
| 21 years | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) | 491 lb (223 kg) | 1939 | ||
| 22.4 years | 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) | 439 lb (199 kg) | At his death, he was the world's tallest man according to Guinness World Records. | June 27, 1940 |
See Also
In Spanish: Robert Wadlow para niños
- Acromegaly
- List of tallest people
