The tallest man who ever lived was Robert Pershing Wadlow. He was born on February 22 in 1918 to his mother Addie Johnson and father Harold Wadlow in Alton Illinois. He was the oldest child among five his size by age 8 was 6 ft. tall which is normally considered as full grown height for an adult, during his school days a special desk was made for himto study. Robert Pershing Wadlow completed his graduation in 1936 from Alton High School and enrolled himself in Shurtleff College to study Law.
Robert was born normal and healthy like other children but he started growing abnormally when he was two years old after a double Hernia operation according to the records kept in his hometown of Alton his excessive height was due to an overactive pituitary gland. Robert Pershing Wadlow use to wear leg braces as his bones were very weak and he faced difficulty in walking.
Robert loved collecting stamps, photography and the boy scouts he was also titled with world’stallest scout boy at the age of 13, he was also regarded as the ‘GENTLE GIANT’ due to his quiet behavior.
Though he was tall and not normal like other children of his age he became famous for what he was. Robert Pershing Wadlow became celebrity after his 1936 tour with the ‘Ringling Brothers Circus’ appearing at Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden in the center ring. He always made his appearance in his everyday clothes and refused to wear a tophat and tails.
In 1938 he began a promotional tour with the International Shoe Company which provided him free pair of shoes as Roberts one pair of shoe worth was $ 100. He was very happy while working in advertising as he was not exhibited out as a freak.
On June 27, 1940 Robert Pershing was declared as the tallest man in medical history by Guinness World Records, he was measured 2.72 m (8 ft. 11.1 in) tall.
Robert Perishing wadlow was living his life happily and had never had any regrets about his size, on July 4,1940 during a professional appearance at the Manistee National Forest a faulty brace irritated his ankle which lead to severe infection, he was treated with blood transfusion and several surgeries but his condition worsened due to auto immune disorder and on July 15 he passed away in his sleep.
The ‘Giant Man’ had a giant funeral around 40,000 people attended his funeral. Robert Pershing Wadlow’s coffin measured 10 ft. 9 in (3.28 m) long by 2 ft. 8 in (0.81 m), wideby 2 ft. 6 in (0.76 m) weighed over 1,000 lbs.(450 kg) and the coffin was carried by twelve pallbearers and eight assistants. He was buried at Oak Wood Cemeteryin upper Alton Maddison Country, Illinois.
In the loving memory of Robert PershingWadlow a life statue waserected opposite the Alton Museum of History and Arts in 1986.