This man reached a height of 2 metres 72 centimetres – and he is considered the tallest man who ever lived. He was strikingly different from those around him, and his shoe size was up to 93. His unusual height made the pain in his feet almost invisible to him, and all items of clothing were created exclusively to order.
By the age of six, Robert Pershing Wadlow was the height of an ordinary adult – 170 centimetres. And when he turned sixteen, he had grown to 2 metres 44 centimetres.
At the same time, all of Robert Wadlow’s relatives were of average build, and at an early age there was nothing to indicate such a sharp difference from the norm. The man’s body developed unusually due to the pituitary gland producing an abnormally high amount of a hormone that caused accelerated growth. Now such conditions are regulated by drugs, but at that time doctors did not yet have ways of effective therapy.
Wadlow’s growth continued throughout his life. Despite his complex physiology and constant public attention, Robert was calm, friendly, able to maintain a conversation and had a subtle humour. He was well aware of what aroused interest, but was not angry with those who showed inappropriate curiosity or allowed themselves to be ridiculed.
People were especially surprised by his shoe size – 93 – and liked to put their feet on his, marvelling at the scale.
Because of its length, Robert’s body was under constant pressure, especially at the bottom. He was forced to use a metal corset to support his legs. This orthopaedic element rubbed the skin, leaving damage, but Wadlow himself hardly felt it – the sensitivity in his feet was reduced. That’s why he had a man with him at all times to monitor the condition of his feet on the journey, and one of the wounds went unnoticed. As a result, blood poisoning began.
But one day this assistant was unable to accompany him on his journeys
After about a week, Robert died from the effects of sepsis, accompanied by fever and inflammation. He was 22 years old at the time.
He remains in history as the man with the greatest recorded height of 272 centimetres.
