The tallest man in world history. The tallest people

Since 1955, the Guinness Book of Records captures interesting facts, events and phenomena from life. Initially, it was conceived as entertainment for visitors to beer pubs, but soon gained immense popularity and became the best-selling book. It was in it that the highest person in world history, or more precisely, several people, was noted.

Giant people

In most cases, people with abnormally large growth - this is not a joke of nature, but the result of a grave illness. If you plunge into history, all known to date giants were born ordinary people, and not much different from their brothers and sisters until a certain time. The main causes of rapid growth were pituitary tumor (brain region) and acromegaly. Almost every tallest person in history suffered from them. Interesting facts about their life are set out below.

Robert Wadlow

The tallest man on the planet in the history of the world (officially measured) was born in Illinois in 1918. Robert was the eldest child in the family. Besides him, Mr and Mrs. Wadlow had two more sons and two daughters.

Up to four years, Robert was an ordinary boy, and after something in his body failed, and his growth began to increase dramatically. Already at the age of ten, it was almost two meters high.

Despite his developmental peculiarities, Robert successfully graduated from high school and entered the university to study law. In parallel, he participated in circus performances and soon became famous throughout America as a "good giant".

Robert Wadlow died at the age of twenty-two from blood poisoning. The good-natured was buried by the whole world. The tallest man in world history is buried in a concreted grave. So wished his parents, who were afraid of the attack of vandals.

Fedor Makhnov

Fyodor Andreevich was a simple peasant from the Russian Empire. He was born in 1878 in a small hamlet. From the very childhood it was clear that Fedor was an unusual child. He was much higher than his brothers and sisters.

In his youth, he settled down to work in a circus, with which he toured Europe. In the contract of the sixteen-year-old boy there was an increase of two meters fifty-four centimeters. Soon the work of a circus artist bothered him, and Fedor returned to his native land.

In the village of Gorbachi, he settled with his wife Euphrosyne, who was also rather big. In their marriage, five children were born. The village where the Makhnov family lived was jokingly called "Velikanov farm".

According to Efrosinya Makhnova, Fedor grew by another thirty-one centimeters. Thus, its growth was two meters and eighty-five centimeters. However, it is not fixed in any official document, so Fyodor Makhnov does not pretend to be the title of "The Highest Man in World History".

Makhnov died several months after the celebration of his thirty-fourth birthday.

Leonid Stadnik

Leonid Stepanovich Stadnik was included in the Book of Records as the highest person in history among the living now, but after his death in 2014 this title was transferred to another.

Stadnik was born in Podoliansy village, Zhytomyr region, in Ukraine. He was an ordinary boy, but everything changed at twelve. He had an unsuccessful operation on the brain, during which the pituitary gland was damaged. After that, Leonid began to grow abnormally, the facial features changed, the hands and feet were simply gigantic. Leonid's height was two meters fifty-seven centimeters.

Despite this turn of fate, the young man did not despair. He graduated from the Veterinary School and worked as a veterinarian until 2003.

The highest people always face health problems. Leonid was no exception. It became difficult for him to move around, and he almost did not leave the house. When the President of Ukraine Yushchenko learned who is the tallest man in the world, he gave his compatriot a car. Also, local businessmen helped Leonid.

The old man died at the age of forty-four from a hemorrhage to the brain.

Sultan Kösen

Sultan Kösen is a Turk, born in 1982 in the city of Mardin. Because of its height of two meters, fifty-one centimeter Sultan is listed in the Guinness Book as the tallest man among the living.

Kösen was not able to finish school because of health problems, so he is engaged in farming from the teenage age. He moves with crutches, but does not despair at all. He even jokes about the advantages of his growth (it is convenient to screw in the bulbs).

In 2010, Sultan left for the United States. He was invited by the medical clinic of the University of Virginia for treatment. For many years, Kösen underwent various procedures, and as a result, the doctors achieved excellent results. The hormone responsible for growth in the body of the Sultan, was put to sleep.

At the age of thirty-one, Sultan Kosen became husband of Mervais Dibo. By the standards of the giant, the spouse is not tall and barely reaches the elbow of the Sultan. However, this does not prevent a happy marriage.

Zhan Junzai

The title of "The highest man in world history" could be claimed by the Chinese peasant Zhan Junzai. He was born in 1966 in Shanxi Province. Like many giants, Zhan was of normal growth until he developed a pituitary tumor.

At the age of sixteen his growth began to go up sharply, after a few years he reached two meters and twelve centimeters.

In the late nineties Zhan turned to the hospital with a complaint of severe headaches. He had an operation to remove the tumor. Since 1999, his growth has stabilized and stopped at a mark of two meters forty-two centimeters. Zhan is the highest representative of his nation.

Bao Xishun

The competition of Zhan Junichi could be made by his compatriot from the province of Inner Mongolia, the shepherd Bao Xishun. He was born in 1951.

For several years he was named among the tallest among the living, but then Bao lost this title.

Few people know about the health problems of the Mongolian shepherd, but the world community is aware of his marriage to a young saleswoman from Chifeng. Also Bao rendered invaluable help in saving two dying dolphins. He with his long hands took out of their stomachs foreign objects.

Treintye Keever

A special place in history is occupied by women-giants. A native of the Netherlands, Treintje Keever is considered the tallest woman in history, but her exact growth is not known. Information about him is approximate. It is believed that the "Great Maiden" (such was the nickname Treintier) was a growth of two meters fifty-four centimeters, and even higher.

Treintier was born in the family of skipper Cornelis and his maid Anna. Parents immediately realized that their child is not like everyone else. She had too big and long arms and feet. Treintier grew very quickly, and her parents decided to become famous for her. The girl was constantly taken to fairs and carnivals and showed there for money.

Once witnessed this became the King of Bohemia Friedrich Fifth, his wife and retinue. Everyone was struck by such an unusual girl, and the king's wife recorded in her diary about an unusual nine-year-old with the growth of a giant.

So Treintier's life passed in constant traveling and performances. Despite the serious illness, the girl's parents did not stop showing it to people. During one such trip, seventeen-year-old Treintye died of cancer. This happened in 1633.

In memory of her remained a portrait, which depicts a very tall girl in burgess clothes. However, the artist greatly flattered Treintier, because he portrayed her as attractive, with thin hands and a miniature face. Apparently, the girl suffered from acromegaly and could not look exactly as pictured in the picture.

Anna Hayning Bates

Anna was born in August 1846 in Canada. In addition to her, there were thirteen more children in the family of immigrants from Scotland, but no one else was more unusual.

Anna at birth weighed eight-odd kilograms. The rate of its growth was very rapid. At the age of fifteen, her height exceeded the two-meter mark. Despite this, her body remained proportionate, so (presumably) Anna was not ill.

At sixteen, Anna came to the circus of her own free will. She was paid good money, which the girl could spend on her education. At the performances called the wrong growth of Anna, in order to attract more viewers. For contrast, a dwarf from the troupe went out with the girl to the arena.

During the tour of the circus Anna met her future husband, also a giant. The growth of Martin van Buren was two meters forty-one centimeter. The highest circus people were married in 1871 in London.

Twice Anna tried to become a mother, but her delivery was unsuccessful. The children were too large, the birth was very difficult, and the babies were dying.

Anna spent the last years of her life with her husband on the farm. She died of tuberculosis in 1888 and was buried in a cemetery next to her children.