Open Mic: Top Seven Tallest People on the Record by Beckett Schubert

Throughout history, the human race has produced some incredibly tall people, not counting the giants written about in the Bible. High levels of growth hormones, gigantism, and acromegaly, the abnormal growth of the hands, feet, and face caused by overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, have allowed them to grow in such a way. Consequently, they grow abnormally tall and oftentimes lose their ability to walk. Here is a list of the tallest people on the record in order.

#1. Robert Wadlow, 1918-1940 (USA), 8 ft 11.1 in

Towering over everyone else at 8 feet 11.1 inches is Robert Wadlow. The oldest of five, he was born on February 22, 1918, in Alton IL. By the time he was eight, he had already grown taller than his father, and when he was just thirteen, he even set a Boy Scouts record for tallest member. By his high school graduation, he had reached 8’4. In fact, because of his abnormal height, he had to have a special uniform and sleeping bag made just for him! He also consumed more than 3 times the number of calories recommended for an adult. Sadly, he died at age twenty-two due to a poorly fitted leg brace, which caused an infection and ultimately led to an autoimmune disease. To this day he remains the tallest person and the person with the greatest hand span, 12.75 inches, on record.

#2. John Rogan, (birth date unknown)-1905 (USA), 8 ft 9 in

At 8’9, John William ‘Bud’ Rogan is the second tallest person ever recorded. Born in Hendersonville to former slave William Rogan, his rapid growth did not begin until the age of thirteen, due to gigantism. He was often carried around on a goat cart, simply because he could not access a wheelchair. Rogan’s hands measured 11 inches and his feet measured 13 inches. He died on September 11, 1905, most likely due to complications from his condition.

#3. John F. Carrol, 1932-1969 (USA), 8 ft 8 in

John F. Carrol was born in Buffalo, New York, and began to grow at age sixteen. At one point he grew 8 inches in one year! As his spinal condition worsened though, his standing height grew shorter. At age twenty-seven he only measured 8 ft ¼ in, but without his curved spine condition, he was thought to of been at least 8 ft 8 in (264 cm). In 1968, he was measured again and found to be 7 feet, 10 ½ in. He died on August 8, 1969, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna, New York.

#4 Väinö Myllyrinne, 1909-1963 (Finland), 8 ft 3 in

Myllyrinne was born February 27, 1909, in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, and was the tallest soldier to have ever served in the Finnish Defense Forces. Before his career as a soldier, however, he traveled Europe as a professional wrestler and circus performer. Interestingly, he had custom-made, size 22 shoes. Just a year before his death, he was measured and found to have a hand span of 11.4 in, the greatest of his time. He died on April 13, 1963, in Helsinki.

#5. Édouard Beaupré, 1881-1904 (Canada), 8 ft 3 in

Édouard Beaupré was born to Gaspard Beaupré and Florestine Piché on January 9^th, 1881, the first of 20 children,. At the age of seven, he was of average height, but by nine, he was already 6 feet, and by twelve he had reached 6’6. By then he had stopped school, having already learned five languages! Beaupré went on to tour the country, displaying his strength and height by bending iron and carrying horses on his shoulders. He died at age twenty-three due to a complication of tuberculosis.

#6 Sultan Kösen, 1982-present (Türkiye), 8 ft 2.82 in

(Left, Sultan Kösen, next to Jyoti Amge, shortest women living)

At age forty, and reaching 8 feet 2.82 inches, although he is estimated to be at 8 feet and 4 1/8 inches without his scoliosis and bad posture, Sultan Kösen is currently the tallest living man. Sultan was born December 10, 1982, in Mardin Province, Turkey. Because of his height, he was unable to complete his education and instead worked part-time as a farmer. Among the advantages of his tallness, Kösen enjoys being able to see great distances and helping his family with domestic tasks, such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains. However, he is also unable to find clothes for his size and finds it difficult to fit into an average-size car. He used his tallness to his advantage by briefly playing basketball with Turkish team Galatasaray in the 2002-2003 season.

#7 Don Koehler, 1925-1981 (USA), 8 ft 2 in

Koehler was born in Denton, Montana, and was recognized as the tallest living person from 1969 until he died in 1981. He had a twin sister, who was 5 ft 9 in, and together they held the record for the greatest height difference between twins. When Koehler died in 1981 at age fifty-five, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered on a lake in Wisconsin where he liked to fish.

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Meet the Author:

What is your name?

My name is Beckett Schubert.

How old are you?

I am 11 years old.

How long have you been at TPS, and what is your favorite class?

This is my second year at TPS. I am only taking one class, Writing Exploration with Mrs. Fred, and I like it a lot.

Where do you live?

I live in Elizabeth City. It is in the north eastern corner of North Carolina.

Why did you want to write this piece? What’s the inspiration behind it?

I wrote this article because I have always loved to read Guinness World Records and I always thought it was crazy how tall some people are.