There are a number of people who are born exceptionally tall. These tall individuals are referred to as ‘giants’ and are often the subject of fascination.
Sultan Kosen is a Kurdish farmer who holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest person in the world since 2009. His abnormal height is due to pituitary gigantism, a condition that causes his pituitary gland to produce too much growth hormone.
Robert Pershing Wadlow
Born to two regular-sized parents, Robert Pershing Wadlow was a happy and healthy baby who grew up seemingly normal in size. When he was six months old, he weighed 30 pounds. When he was eight years old, he had grown to six feet and two inches and weighed 195 pounds.
Even though he was so tall, Wadlow was still considered a gentle giant for his quiet demeanor. He was a popular figure in his hometown of Alton, Illinois, and was loved by everyone there.
He was able to grow so large because of hypertrophy of the pituitary gland, which causes an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. This caused his incredible height and continued growth until he died at age 22.
As a result, he was able to reach an incredible height of 8 feet 11.1 inches and a body weight of 439 lb at his death. He is remembered as the “Gentle Giant” for his quiet demeanor and is still recognized as the tallest man in the world by Guinness World Records.
After his death, his body was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Alton, Illinois, where a life-sized bronze statue of him now stands. Thousands of people showed up to pay their respects. It took 18 pallbearers to carry the massive casket in and out of the funeral.
Sultan Kosen
Kosen, who is 8 feet 3 inches tall, holds two world records. He is the tallest person in the world and he also holds the record for the largest hands of any living person. He has hands measuring 28.5 centimeters from thumb to pinky finger, which is almost 11 inches!
Kosen was born with acromegaly, a condition that causes overgrowth. His growth spurt began when he was 10 years old, and it took him nearly three decades to reach his current height of 8 feet, 3 inches.
His life was difficult because of his height, but he has been able to pursue many of his dreams and travel the world. He even became a cultural ambassador for his native Turkey.
One of his most notable accomplishments was getting married. He married Merve Dibo in 2013, who is 9 years younger than him and only 5 ft 9 inches tall. They live in a house that was specially designed for him, and they hope to have children in the future.
He has a mouth makeover to try to improve his smile. He says he thinks it will give him the confidence he needs to find a wife.
Sultan Kosen was born with acromegaly, which causes overgrowth. His growth spurt began in childhood, but he has been able to control it with medication.
He has been the tallest person in the world since 2009. His height has helped him accomplish many of his goals, including traveling the world and finding love.
Chandra Bahadur Dangi
Chandra Bahadur Dangi was born on 30 November 1939 in the sleepy hamlet of Kalimati, in Salyan District of Nepal. He was of average height at birth, but his friends quickly outgrew him. As a result, his mother began to worry and prescribed bone strengthening medicine that failed to stimulate his growth.
Despite his shortened height, Chandra Bahadur Dangi had a dream of travelling throughout the world and meeting people. This is why he went to London in 2014 to meet the world’s tallest man, Sultan Kosen.
He met Kosen in London, along with the shortest woman in the world, Jyoti Amge. It was a moment that Dangi said made him feel very proud to represent his country.
But his dreams came to a tragic end this week. On Thursday, Dangi died at an American Samoa hospital.
In 2012, Guinness World Records officials were contacted by a timber merchant who said they’d spotted a potential record-breaker in a remote village in Nepal. The merchant told them that he was two inches shorter than the current record holder, Junrey Balawing of the Philippines.
The record-keepers immediately arranged for a visit to Dangi’s mountain village in Rhimkholi, 250 miles west of Kathmandu. The Guinness team measured him three times in a day, making sure that he was as consistent as possible.
He was measured again on Saturday in the capital, Kathmandu. The measurements showed that Dangi was still the shortest man in the world.
Morteza Mehrzad
Morteza Mehrzad, an Iranian sitting volleyball player, stands at a towering 246 centimeters in height. He is equal second in the world, behind Turkey’s Sultan Kosen, and is a game-changing force for the country’s seated volleyball team, which has won six global titles.
His extraordinary stature comes from a rare condition called acromegaly, which is characterized by excessive growth hormone. He was diagnosed at an early age and normally uses a wheelchair or crutches.
In 2011, five years before the Rio Paralympics, Iran national coach Hadi Rezaei was watching a television program about differently-abled people when he spotted Mehrzad. He instantly got in touch with the TV network about his discovery and quickly saw a potential for the tall athlete, who was already 1.9 meters tall by the time he was 16.
Since then, he has become the face of the Iran sitting volleyball squad and is regarded as one of the best players in the world. In Rio, he helped the country win its sixth gold medal, defeating defending Paralympic champion Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1.
On Monday (12 September), he will be the focal point in Iran’s bid to avenge their defeat at London 2012 by Bosnia and Herzegovina. A win could see Iran leapfrog their rivals and put the world’s tallest player on his way to becoming the sport’s all-time top scorer.
Dharmendra Pratap Singh
A resident of Narharpur Kasiyahi village, Dharmendra Pratap Singh is a towering personality with a height of 8 feet 2 inches. He hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district and is known as one of Asia’s tallest men.
He is affiliated to the Samajwadi Party and is a big draw at political rallies. People want to take selfies with him and he creates a buzz wherever he goes.
However, the 45-year-old has a problem with his hip bone and needs surgery to replace it. He has approached the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking help.
The government has assured him that they will provide him with the necessary financial support. But he has to undergo the surgery in New Delhi and is currently unable to pay for it.
Dharmendra Pratap Singh is a member of the Samajwadi Party and has recently joined it ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next month. He was welcomed into the party by its state president Naresh Uttam Patel.
He expressed his faith in the policies of the party and the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav. He also said that if the party gives him a ticket, he will contest from Pratapgarh.
He is a well-known face for his height and is a major attraction at political rallies. He has been an eloquent supporter of the party, and was also active during the UP panchayat polls.
Zhang Juncai
Zhang Juncai stands at a staggering height of 242 cm. He is the tallest person in China and also holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest man alive.
He was born in a small town near Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, China, and is known for being the tallest man in the world. He was formerly a professional basketball player but is now retired.
However, he still has a number of physical problems that hinder his daily activities. He can’t walk in a straight line and has to wear shoes made specifically for him to support his weight.
His height was also the cause of many health issues. He was prone to developing blood clots and had to undergo a series of surgeries to correct these issues.
One of the biggest challenges that he faces is being unable to drive. He can’t drive a car, take a bus, or use the train.
Another problem is his tendency to fall and injure himself. He often suffers from neck and back pain, and has to visit the doctor regularly.
Aside from these, he has to deal with other issues as well. He was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor that caused his intense growth, and he had to undergo surgery.
In addition, he has been subjected to ridicule for his height. People have referred to him as the “silly big guy” and he has suffered from depression. He was able to overcome his difficulties and find love with his wife.