Robert Wadlow Was The Tallest Man To Ever Live, But His Life Was Cut Tragically Short
On a cold February morning in 1918, a couple in Alton, Illinois, welcomed a child into the world. The labor itself was a routine one, with the mother — a woman named Addie Wadlow — giving birth to a baby boy, which the doting parents soon held in their arms. The infant appeared to be healthy, of average height and weight, and without any discernible defects. But at this tender moment, the Wadlows had absolutely no idea that their son would go on to make history — and in a sizable way. That’s because their small child would become the tallest man who ever lived, who at his peak height, stood at an incredible 8 feet 11 inches.
Likely that no human will ever be taller
The Wadlows’ baby boy would become so tall that scientists almost unanimously agree that his height is unlikely to ever be surpassed by another human being. The new parents never could have expected such a thing at the time of their child’s birth, nor could they ever have envisaged that he would have his life cut so tragically short.
So, who exactly was the baby who grew into the largest man that ever lived? And how did his life get cut short in a terrible tragedy? Let’s find out by taking a deep dive into the life of Robert Wadlow, from his birth to his incredible growth and his early demise.
Born in Alton
Robert Pershing Wadlow was born at his family’s home way back on February 22, 1918, in Alton, Illinois. Alton is a small city on the Mississippi River that is approximately 18 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri. It was perhaps most notable as the place where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas last debated in October 1858, a few years prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.
But Wadlow’s birth there — and his subsequent recognition as the tallest human being ever recorded — might well have surpassed that landmark event in people’s minds when they think of Alton. Since the 1980s there has even been a life-size bronze statue on College Avenue in the city, marking its most famous son, the “Gentle Giant” of Alton.
First of five children
Wadlow was the first of five children, followed by brothers Eugene and Harold Jr. and sisters Helen and Betty. The future giant’s parents were Harold Franklin Wadlow and Addie May, née Johnston. Wadlow took his middle name from General John J. Pershing, who was commanding officer of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I.
“Black Jack,” as Pershing was known, would prove to be a towering figure in the global conflict by ensuring Allied victory in Europe. His namesake, of course, would go on to become a literal giant.
Unremarkable birth
On the day Wadlow was born, his weight was an unremarkable eight pounds and six ounces. There was really nothing noteworthy about his size and weight upon birth. In fact, they were both normal and comfortably within the same ballpark as an average newborn.
There was nothing unusual about Wadlow the newborn baby. At first glance, his parents and, indeed, any doctors would not have been able to foretell the rapid growth that his body would soon undertake.
First six months
But all that would soon change. Baby Wadlow would begin to grow at an alarming speed. By the time Wadlow made it to six months old in August 1918, he weighed in at a starling 30 pounds, while he stood at 2 feet and 10 ½ inches.
For comparison, that’s roughly the same height as an average two-year-old child and the same weight as 20 dozen eggs, or four gallons of water. Within just six months, the infant Wadlow went from being an average sized newborn to something very abnormal.
Disorder of the pituitary gland
So, what was going on? Why was Harold and Addie’s infant son growing at such a rapid rate? Well, a few years later, Wadlow would go into hospital for numerous medical evaluations and tests in order to determine the issue. As it turned out, he had been born with a disorder that affected his pituitary gland.
This is a gland the size of a pea that’s found at the base of our brains. We all have a pituitary gland, and it’s the part of the brain that’s most heavily involved in the growth process. It does this by secreting a hormone, fittingly known as human growth hormone (HGH).
Too much HGH
Wadlow had been born with hypertrophy of this gland that’s so essential to human growth. This, in essence, meant that his pituitary gland had a defect. One that made it secrete far more HGH than was needed for normal human development. This hypertrophy — often called gigantism — would mean that Wadlow would go on to be a giant, and, in fact, the tallest man that ever lived.
Interestingly, if Wadlow had been born with a pituitary gland that didn’t secrete enough HGH during the growth phase, then he would have likely been a dwarf. The gland really plays an essential role in development.
Waddling Wadlow
Not that Wadlow had a growth phase, as such. In fact, whereas most boys stop growing taller at around 16 years of age, the “Alton Giant” would keep growing right until the tragic end of his life.
Anyway, Wadlow began, ahem, waddling around on two feet at around 11 months. At the point that he took his first tentative, upright steps he stood at 3 feet and 3 ½ inches, and he weighed in at 40 pounds. By his first birthday, he was 3 feet 6 inches and weighed 45 pounds, the same size as an average five year old.
Up to four years
By August 22, 1919, when Wadlow was just 18 months, he had reached the scarcely believable height of 4 feet and 3 ¼ inches. To give you a picture of how big this was for an 18-month-old toddler, that is the average height of an eight-year-old. He weighed in at 62 pounds at this time.
Over the next few years, Wadlow continued to grow considerably. At the age of two, he was the size of an average ten-year-old. At three he was comparable to a 12-year-old, and at four he was like a kid of 14.
Starting kindergarten
Fast-forward a year to 1923, when Wadlow was five years old and heading to school for the first time to start kindergarten. Of course, Wadlow would immediately stand out in the first grade. That was due to his humongous size, of course, more than his academic prowess.
When Wadlow arrived at his school for his first day, he stood at around 5 feet and 4 inches, with a weight of 105 pounds. Towering over his classmates, he was by now the size of an average 15-year-old, and he donned a suit that would fit a 17-year-old boy.
Normal-ish childhood
Despite his unusual size, Wadlow did his best to fit in at school. Jennifer Phillips, author of Robert Wadlow: The Unique Life of the Boy Who Became the World's Tallest Man told the website How Stuff Works, “Even though he was adult size by kindergarten, his family and the community tried to give him as normal of a childhood as possible.”
Yes, Wadlow’s local community soon recognized his uniqueness, and, along with his family, tried to protect him. Even more so when he became known to people outside of Alton — once the media learned of him, it often printed sensationalized stories about him. Phillips said that scrutiny of Wadlow began “when he was 9” and “definitely impacted his childhood.”
Overtaking his father
By the time he reached the age of eight, Wadlow had achieved another milestone. At that tender age, the boy had sprung up as far as 6 feet, and he weighed a whopping 169 pounds. This meant that he was now taller than his own father, who stood at 5 feet 11 inches. Not only that, by the age of eight, Wadlow — who had to have a specially sized desk built for him at elementary school — was now slightly taller than the average American male!
By 1926 he was dead level with adult males in the Netherlands, which has the tallest population on Earth. It wouldn’t be long before he began to tower above the majority of adults.
Social groups and activities
The young Wadlow became a member of numerous social groups inside and outside of school. These included the Young Men’s Christian Association, the local Main Street Methodist Church, and the Boy Scouts of America. He reportedly liked collecting things — namely stamps, matchbooks, and rocks. In many ways, he was like any other kid.
Author Phillips, who has researched Wadlow’s life extensively, told How Stuff Works, “He enjoyed all of the activities other kids his age were enjoying. He participated in school plays, joined the Scouts, and appears to have been a regular kid in this respect.”
Declining risky surgery
But it was when he reached the age of 12 that Wadlow and his parents learnt what exactly was the issue with him. In 1930, when he had reached 7 feet in height, Wadlow was taken to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis by his family. After their examinations, the hospital informed Wadlow and his parents of the pituitary gland hypertrophy that he suffered from. By this point, it was pretty clear that Wadlow’s rapid and highly abnormal growth could only be stopped with some kind of medical intervention.
But Phillips told the website How Stuff Works that his parents and Wadlow himself both decided having surgery was “too risky.” Remember, this was a time when such an operation was far from routine. Phillips said, “They didn’t have other treatments, so he focused on making the best of the situation.”
Tallest ever boy scout
By 1930 official recordings of Wadlow’s height and weight were being kept at the Washington University School of Medicine. Clearly someone of authority had to keep tabs on this medical marvel, who was breaking human growth records left, right, and center.
A year later, another feat was achieved by Wadlow. At the age of 13, he became the world’s tallest ever boy scout. By this point, he stood at an immense 7 feet and 4 inches. Needless to say, his scouts uniform was specially made for him, as were his shoes.
Graduating Alton High School
Wadlow continued to grow at a frightening rate throughout his high school years. Upon graduating from Alton High School in January 1936, he was 17 years old and approximately 8 feet 3 inches in height. In terms of weight, Wadlow tipped the scales at 390 pounds. The size of their eldest son must have caused Wadlow’s parents some logistical and financial headaches.
Not only did the house they resided in need to accommodate his height, he had to have specially made clothing that required up to three times more cloth. Furthermore, his gigantic size 37 shoes were custom-made and costly, at around $100 dollars a pair — roughly $2,000 dollars today adjusted for inflation.
Current tallest man vs. Wadlow
When he reached 18, Wadlow’s height was 8 feet 4 inches. It’s worth noting that, as of January 2024, the tallest recorded man in the world alive today is Turkish farmer Sultan Kösen. He gained the title back in 2009, as per the Guinness World Records, and has held it ever since.
Like Wadlow, Kösen was born with pituitary gigantism, but he did have surgery in 2010 to halt any further growth. In any case, by the time Wadlow was 18 in 1936, he had already surpassed Kösen’s current height of just below 8 feet 3 inches. But his body wasn’t done growing yet.
Doting big brother
As the eldest of the five children his parents had, Wadlow often spent time with his much smaller siblings. The Alton Giant considered his younger brothers and sisters as his closest and most important companions, and he doted on them as much as he could. Reportedly, the Wadlow siblings once set up a lemonade stand, in which they raked in over $100 in a day — a not inconsequential amount in that time period.
The trick behind their success was they had Robert sitting at the stand, and he would only stand up if people visiting — who were there, for the most part, to see the Alton Giant in the flesh — would buy a lemonade!
Short stay at Shurtleff College
After leaving high school, Wadlow enrolled in the nearby Shurtleff College in February 1936. Author Phillips told How Stuff Works, “As a young adult, he went to a local college for a while with a goal of becoming a lawyer.” But Wadlow would soon drop out of the educational establishment after completing only one semester.
Essentially, the logistical challenges of being a giant whilst studying at college got the better of him. For instance, Wadlow struggled to take notes in lectures because his huge hands could not hold a pen or pencil properly. Phillips added, “... his size proved too challenging as he tried to navigate the campus and classrooms.”
Catching a break
So, what exactly could Wadlow do with himself? Things were proving very difficult for the Alton Giant, as Phillips noted to How Stuff Works. She said, “His size affected his everyday comfort and ability to navigate a physical world not made for him as he kept growing.”
His career prospects seemed fairly limited as a result. But later in 1936 he would get something of a break. The Ringling Brothers Circus made Wadlow an offer to join them on the road with their traveling extravaganza. Wadlow was on the path to becoming a major star.
Setting the conditions
After some deliberation, Wadlow agreed to join the traveling circus. But he had some conditions. For starters, the circus had to book a hotel suite for him and his father, and it had to foot the bill for any expenses incurred.
Furthermore, Wadlow refused to dress in any form of circus attire — instead donning one of his conservative suits — nor would he appear in the infamous sideshow. Nevertheless, the Ringling Brothers knew they had someone special in their roster now, who would likely draw a big crowd.
Traveling with the Ringling Brothers Circus
And so it proved. Wadlow — already known nationally due to numerous press stories — became a huge draw. Thousands came to the Ringling Brothers Circus for the chance to see this unique human being in the flesh.
The Alton Giant soon took top billing, traveled across the U.S. and appeared at legendary venues such as Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden, where he stood in the center ring twice daily to adulation from the crowd. Wadlow was a major deal.
Cashing in
In truth, Wadlow’s family had long been opposed to him joining the circus, fearing he would be either billed as a freak or would inevitably come to be seen as one by the visiting public anyway. However, Wadlow and his family were struggling for money and, as a result, accepted the offer.
Remember that Wadlow’s tailored clothes required a lot more cloth, and he required special-sized beds, chairs, and the like also. So it made financial sense to cash in on Wadlow’s unique size and the intrigue around him.
Other touring
But the Ringling Brothers Circus wasn’t the only touring Wadlow did. No, Alton’s “Gentle Giant” also traveled around the country with the Peters Shoe Company of St. Louis. They were the enterprise who constructed his enormous, custom-made shoes. He’d started this a few years prior to the circus.
Wadlow would promote the company and, in turn, receive his increasingly large shoes as a part of the bargain. Doing this at least cut the costs a little for him and his family. Wadlow’s shoe size would reach as high as 37AA, so, as well as being the world’s tallest man, he also had the biggest feet.
Traveling far and wide
Wadlow and his family clearly realized that, perhaps, the best career for him was endorsements and public appearances. As a result, Wadlow would trek across the United States, visiting 41 states and approximately 800 towns and cities, before venturing into neighboring Canada and Mexico, too.
The Alton Giant clocked up around 300,000 miles over the course of those public outings. But not forgetting his roots, he also promoted business in his hometown, such as Snyder’s Family Clothing Store.
Traveling woes
Though undoubtedly fun, traveling across America and over the border to Canada and Mexico was not without its issues for Wadlow. For one thing, his poppa had to remove the front passenger seat from his car, so that his eldest son could fit in the back and have a little room to stretch his extremely long legs.
Besides that, Wadlow encountered difficulties in fitting inside public spaces on his travels, which, for the most part, were not equipped for a man of his unique size. Likewise, general household items were too small for him to hold and use, although he enjoyed strumming a guitar for a while until his hands and fingers became too large.
Needing leg braces
But Wadlow’s woes didn’t stop with not being able to use household items or to stand tall inside numerous buildings. The Alton Giant also had issues with walking properly, which ultimately required braces on his legs and a long cane. Only then could he walk and stand upright in general.
Those braces would be a lifesaver for a while, with Wadlow using them to get around. But eventually, they proved to be extremely problematic. They actually contributed heavily to his tragic and premature death.
Warm, genial and dignified
Before we get to that, though, let’s talk more about Wadlow himself. He held a reputation of being a friendly and considerate man, despite all the attention he received. Those who recalled meeting him years later often spoke about how warm and genial he was. Furthermore, people who knew him well always talked about how polite and mild-mannered he was.
He was often called “the Gentle Giant,” as well as the Alton one. Those who knew him included the writer John J. Dunphy’s parents. His mother called Wadlow “dignified and always a gentleman.”
Sticking up for himself
Nevertheless, though Wadlow was most often warm and genial, he wasn’t a pushover, and in 1939 he would prove that. The “Alton Giant” would bring forward a libel trial after a Missouri doctor named Charles Humberd wrote a piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association about his alleged moody character and mental capabilities.
Wadlow and his family were most unhappy with this piece and sued for libel. Unfortunately, he would lose the lawsuit, despite providing witnesses who knew him well. Wadlow also brought about another lawsuit in 1940 after a disagreeable article in TIME, but this time round it was dismissed by the court.
Reaching his peak height
When 1940 came around, the 22-year-old Wadlow had reached a standing height of 8 feet and 11.09 inches. No one else in recorded history had ever reached that immense height. In likelihood, nobody else ever will. The Alton Giant was heavy, too, weighing in at 439 pounds. Wadlow was a full two and a bit inches taller than the second tallest man in history, according to the Guinness World Records.
That man was John William Rogan, an African-American widely known as “Bud” who died in 1905. Rogan was measured at 8 feet 9 inches, but he was unable to stand up and had to be assessed in height from a sitting position.
Why he likely will remain the tallest
Perhaps you’re wondering why there’ll never be anyone as tall as Wadlow in the future? Well, for starters, the hormonal disorder that Wadlow inherited is extremely rare, with approximately one case in every 50 to 70 million people. But the main reason is that gigantism, or acromegaly, is readily treatable today.
So, specialist doctors and surgeons can completely halt or slow down the rapid growth that Wadlow experienced. Being so tall can seriously shorten one’s life, so most people are likely to accept treatment. This often encompasses a combination of surgery, medications, and radiation therapy.
Colossal calorie intake
Being a human giant will almost certainly result in a number of undesirable attributes and needs, plus common occurrences that come with such an immense size. One of these ultimately had a strong bearing on Wadlow’s own downfall, which we’ll get to shortly.
To begin with, Wadlow required a lot of food and drink to survive. We’re talking 8,000 calories a day, when the average male requires just 2,500. As you might expect, a gigantic body requires a lot of fuel to keep it going, and 5,500 calories more than an average male illustrates just how much.
Cardiovascular problems
Another thing about being a human giant is that there’s a high incidence of cardiovascular disease and assorted problems. When you think about it, the heart has to pump extra hard to move blood and oxygen around a massive body, a feat that it can often only perform for so long.
Other internal organs are also affected by the vastness of the gigantism sufferer’s body. Even before 1940, Wadlow’s body was struggling with the stress of it all. Phillips noted to How Stuff Works that “it affected his health toward the end of his life as his systems struggled to support his size.”
Difficulty feeling his feet
Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be a heart attack or heart failure that led to Wadlow’s tragic early passing. No, in actual fact, it was largely the result of a small blister on his ankle. Yes, really. But how could something that sounds so minor have been so catastrophically serious?
Well, because of his size — and the difficulty that we’ve mentioned his heart had pumping blood and oxygen around his body — Wadlow had real difficulty feeling anything in his lower legs, feet, or hands. His feet were particularly troublesome.
History of foot injuries
The Missouri doctor who he once sued, Dr. Charles Humberd, noted this lack of sensation and feeling in Wadlow’s feet in his report from that 1936 visit and examination of the Alton Giant. Humberd wrote, “He is unaware of a wrinkle in his sock or a foreign body in his shoe until a blister, followed by an ulcer, is formed.” This lack of awareness of such ailments would ultimately cost him his life.
Wadlow suffered a number of foot and leg injuries during his short life, and he required hospital treatment on numerous occasions. He broke two bones in his foot at age 14 that never fully healed, and he was hospitalized at 17 for eight weeks after a shoe pad meant to support the arches in his foot became infected. A huge stretcher and eight men were needed to carry him into hospital back then.
Ankle sore forms at Independence Day parade
So, it can’t be said that the warning signs weren’t there for what would eventually happen. On July 4, 1940, Wadlow traveled to the Manistee National Forest Festival in Michigan for another of his public appearances, this time an Independence Day parade.
Unbeknownst to him, at that particular event he was wearing an ill-fitting brace on his leg, alongside holding his trusty cane. The new brace soon began to rub against his ankle and caused a sore, which soon became infected.
Emergency surgery and death
The infected blister soon saw Wadlow develop a fever, which, when he got back to his hotel, had hit 101° F. Wadlow wouldn’t follow his father’s orders to go into hospital, but a physician came to the hotel to nurse him at his bedside. Alas, over the next 10 days, Wadlow’s condition would worsen considerably. His mother and younger brother Harold Jr. arrived to see him as his temperature stayed in the hundreds.
In an act of desperation, doctors performed emergency surgery and a blood transfusion on the Gentle Giant. But it was all in vain, as Wadlow’s septic infection was too bad. His immune system failed to fight it and he died in his sleep on the morning of July 15, 1940.
Last words
Wadlow’s last words expressed his disappointment about not being able to make a family reunion, which was being held for his grandparent’s golden wedding anniversary. A few hours before he died he reportedly said, “The doctor says I won’t get home for the... celebrations.”
Heartwarmingly, it seems Robert Pershing Wadlow was a committed family man right to the end. News of Wadlow’s death soon spread across America, and there was a great deal of mourning in his hometown of Alton, Illinois, for its most famous son.
Funeral and burial
Wadlow’s huge, lifeless body was brought back to Alton to be buried. His funeral on July 19, 1940, was quite the event, with somewhere close to 1,000 people gathering outside the funeral home to pay their respects, while the pastor of the Methodist church he attended conducted the service. Wadlow was encased in a 10-foot 9-inch steel coffin that weighed over 1,000 pounds, the final specially constructed item for him. It required 16 pallbearers to carry it.
Afterwards, Wadlow’s corpse was put in the Streeper Funeral Home for two days, which allowed people from Alton and afar to view his uniquely sized body one last time, and to say goodbye. The Alton Giant was gone, but he will be remembered forever for his record-breaking size and heart of gold.