Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

PHOTO: 'History in Pictures' Shares Photo of World's Tallest Man on Twitter

PHOTO: 'History in Pictures' Shares Photo of World's Tallest Man on Twitter

If you're a fan of historical photography, then the popular Twitter page "History in Pictures" might be right up your alley.


Recently, the page shared a photo of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, who measured in at a whopping 8 ft 11.1 in at his tallest.

Here he is standing next to a couple of very impressed (and much shorter) ladies:

Wadlow was born in 1918 in Alton, Illinois, with a rare disorder which caused his pituitary gland to work overtime well into adult, and let to his height (and subsequently, his weight) continuing to soar ever higher due an abundance of human growth hormone.

Here he is getting fitted for a suit:

Wadlow was taller than his 5'11" father by the time he was eight, with no signs of slowing down. After graduating high school in 1936 measuring in at 8'4", he enrolled in Shurtleff College to study law. Ultimately, however, he found fame by traveling around with the Ringling Brothers Circus, and became affectionately known as the "Alton Giant," the "Giant of Illinois," and the "Gentle Giant."

But sadly, Wadlow's increasing stature had a detrimental effect on his health, causing him to need leg braces in order to walk. Ultimately, the disorder that made him so famous eventually caused his early death at the age of 22, after an infection caused by a faulty leg brace spread and turn into an autoimmune disorder. He died just 11 days after being treated for the infection.

18 days before his death, he had been officially measured at 8'11" and a weight of 490 lbs.

For his funeral, a 10'9" coffin was built, and required 12 pallbearers to lift considering it weighed 1,000 lbs.

Now, a life-sized statue stands in Alton opposite the Alton Museum of Art and History. Other statues are housed at various Ripley's Believe it or Not Museums and Guinness Museums around the world.

Wadlow continues to impress people:

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

H/T: Twitter, Mashable, Wikipedia

More from News

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less