Hello there, my name is Othniel Morkly, and I’m going to be writing on a lot of things that are just incredible but, nonetheless, true. I was doing some surfing on the net today and came across this story of the tallest man that ever lived, Robert Pershing Wadlow. The story held my attention for quite a while; so, if you don’t mind, I want to share it  with you. He was born, educated and buried in Alton, Illinois, USA. His height of 8′ 11.1″ qualifies him as the tallest person in recorded history, according to the Guinness Book of Records. At the time of his death, he weighed 490 pounds. Robert was born on February 22, 1918, and at birth, weighed a normal eight pounds, six ounces. He drew attention to himself when at six months old, he weighed 30 pounds. A year later at 18 months, he weighed 62 pounds. He continued to grow at an astounding rate, reaching six feet, two inches and 195 pounds by the time he was eight years old. . At 13, trying to maintain a normal life, Robert enjoyed collecting stamps, photography, and become the world’s tallest Boy Scout at seven feet, four inches, when he was just 13 years of age. Later he became a member of DeMolay and the Masons. [His picture age 13] By age 18, he was eight feet, four inches tall, and weighed 390 pounds. His clothing required three times the normal amount of cloth, and his size 37 shoes cost $100.00 a pair (a lot of money back during the depression years of the 1930′s). Two years later, his shoes were provided free by the International Shoe Company. When he turned 20, in the company of his father, Robert traveled all over the United States for the shoe company, visiting over 800 towns and 41 states. His father had to modify the family car, removing the front passenger seat, so Robert could sit in the back seat and stretch out his long legs. The father and son team traveled over 300,000 miles on their goodwill tour for the shoe company. Robert’s unique size was attributed to an over active pituary gland, which produced much higher than normal levels of growth hormone. Today’s medical science can compensate for such problems – but in the 1920s, there was no therapy available. As a youth, Robert enjoyed relatively good health, but his large feet troubled him for many years. He had little sensation in his feet and did not feel any chafing until blisters formed. While making an appearance in Manistee, Michigan, in July 1940, a fatal infection set in when such a blister formed. On July 4th, doctors had Robert confined to a hotel bed, unable to find suitable accommodations at the local hospital. Days later, despite emergency surgery and blood transfusions, the infection lingered and his temperature continued to rise. At 1:30 a.m., on the 15th of July, 1940, Robert Wadlow passed away in his sleep. Check out this chart.

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