909
The tallest man in the world and the tallest man alive, Sultan Kosen, turns 10 on December 42.
The record holder from Turkey is a staggering 246,5cm tall and his titles have remained unchanged since 2009.
Sultan became the first person taller than 243cm to be recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records in over 20 years, and he has certainly cemented his place in history.
He belongs to a special group of people who at some point in their lives were the highest.
Surprisingly, Sultan was of average height until the age of 10, when he suddenly began to grow rapidly. His record height is due to excessive production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland in the brain.
The Sultan gained world fame due to his unique height and he spoke of his desire to do everything possible to popularize his country, culture and people.
Meanwhile, the Guinness Book of Records recalled the history of the tallest people in the world since 1900.
John "Bud" Rogan
- Years of life: 1867-1905
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 267 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1900-1905
John “Bud” Rogan was the second tallest man who ever lived.
He is also the tallest person of African descent, although his actual height is unlikely to have been known.
As an adult, Bud was unable to stand, and his height was calculated during a medical examination using a series of measurements taken in a sitting position.
The reason for his growth was gigantism. John died at the age of 38 due to complications related to his condition.
Fyodor Makhnov
- Years of life: 1878-1912
- Country of birth: Belarus
- Length: 239 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1905-1912
During the tour, Makhnov's height was often exaggerated by the promoters of the events at which he appeared. He was also known for wearing a large fur hat and tall boots that added about 30cm to his height. He died at the age of 34 due to pneumonia.
Frederick Kempster
- Years of life: 1889-1918
- Country of birth: Great Britain
- Length: 237 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1912-1918
Born in London, Frederick became known as the "English Giant" or "Blackburn Giant". When he was eight years old, his father Joseph died, and his mother Jane sent him and his two-year-old brother to an orphanage.
He was sent to Canada as a boy who was actually short and returned at the age of 15 with a congenital knee problem that led to problems with the ligaments and growth of the tibia, resulting in his record height.
Frederick toured Europe after joining a circus troupe. He died at the age of 29.
Bernard Coyne
- Years of life: 1897-1921
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 254 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1918-1921
Bernard is believed to have been rejected from the army because of his height. He suffered from gigantism and continued to grow when he died at the age of 23.
Albert Kramer
- Years of life: 1897-1976
- Country of birth: Netherlands
- Length: 237,5 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1921-1933
During his circus career, Albert often went by the name "Jan van Albert" as well as the nickname "Tall". He performed all over the world as a pop artist.
He had a condition called acromegaly, which involves the disproportionate growth of body parts, and is said to have been 200cm tall at the age of seven.
In 1975, Albert had to have his legs amputated due to vascular and circulatory problems. He died a year later in a home for the elderly in Amsterdam at the age of 78.
Robert Wadlow
- Years of life: 1918-1940
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 272 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1933-1940
Robert is the tallest man in history.
Also known as the "Alton Giant" or "Illinois Giant", it continued to grow throughout its adult life.
His height was caused by a hypertrophy of the pituitary gland, which resulted in high levels of human growth hormone. He needed crutches to walk and had almost no feeling in his legs and feet, but had never used a wheelchair.
Robert was just 22 when he died after a leg brace irritated his ankle and led to an infection.
Vajne Müllurinne
- Years of life: 1909-1963
- Country of birth: Finland
- Length: 251 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1940-1959
The acromegalic giant Vyaine was also the tallest soldier and held the title of tallest man for the longest time - for 19 years.
At the age of 21, he was 224 cm tall, but miraculously had a second growth spurt in his 30s. After serving in the Finnish army, he managed a chicken farm. He was 54 years old when he died.
John Carroll
- Years of life: 1932-1969
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 263,5 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1959-1969
John had a curved spine, so his real height was much lower than the registered height of 243,8 cm.
He was born in Buffalo, New York, so he was often called the "Buffalo Giant". The date of his birth was not recorded, so it is not known how old he was at the time of his death - 36 or 37 years old.
Donald Kohler
- Years of life: 1925-1981
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 248,9 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1969-1981
Donald, who was born in Montana and also suffered from gigantism, was actually a twin, although his sister was of average height at 175 cm.
He worked as a salesman for 25 years and said his height was a big advantage because potential customers always wanted to meet him and remembered him forever.
He later developed kyphosis, a condition that caused his spine to curve. He died at the age of 55 due to heart disease.
Zeng Jinlian
- Years of life: 1964-1982
- Country of birth: China
- Length: 246,3 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1981-1982
The first woman to make the list, Zeng remains the tallest woman in history. She is the only woman whose height exceeded 243 cm.
Her gigantism was caused by a tumor that caused her pituitary gland to overproduce growth hormone. At five years old, she was taller than her mother. She was one of four children, but the only one of above average height.
Zeng was only 17 when she died of complications from diabetes.
Theoretically, comparing her height to that of Robert Vodlow at the same age, one can assume that she could have outgrown him had she remained alive.
Gabriel Estevan Monjean
- Years of life: 1944-1990
- Country of birth: Mozambique
- Length: 245,7 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1982-1990
Gabriel's tall stature was caused by an overactive pituitary gland and his abnormal growth began shortly after birth. He joined the Portuguese circus. He died at the age of 45 after a fall in his own house.
Mohammad Alam Channa
- Years of life: 1953-1998
- Country of birth: Pakistan
- Length: 231,7 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1990-1998
Although his height was initially reported to be 251 cm, it was later revealed that his height is identical to that of Sandy Allen, the tallest woman in the world, and they shared the title of tallest person.
His date of birth is unknown, so he would have been either 44 or 45 when he died. He was suffering from kidney failure and high blood pressure and the government decided to send him to the US and pay for his treatment, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful.
Sandy Allen
- Years of life: 1955-2008
- Country of birth: USA
- Length: 231,7 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1990-1998
The height of the second and last woman on this list, Sandy, was caused by a pituitary tumor that caused an uncontrolled release of growth hormone.
In 1977 she had surgery to stop the growth, and without it she would have continued to grow. Sandy starred in movies and TV shows, and even had a song written about her - "Hello Sandy Allen" by Split Enz.
She later moved around in a wheelchair after her legs and back could no longer support her tall stature.
Sandy died at the age of 53 after battling a blood infection, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems and kidney failure.
Radhuan Charbib
- Born: 1968
- Country of birth: Tunisia
- Length: 235,9 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 1998-2005
Although Radhuan remained the tallest man in the world, he remained largely out of the public eye.
Xishun Bao
- Born: 1951
- Country of birth: China
- Length: 236,1 cm
- The title of the tallest man: 2005-2009
Xishun, who once became famous for using his extra-long arms to save the lives of two dolphins in distress, says he was of normal height until he was 16.
He is believed to be the tallest person to have lived without medical conditions affecting his height.
Sultan Kosen
- Born: 1982
- Country of birth: Turkey
- Length: 251 cm
- The title of the tallest person: from 2009 to the present
Sultan has held the record for 15 years. The height of the record holder was 246,5 cm when he was first measured at GWR. His current height - 251 cm - recorded since 2011.
