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Robert Wadlow stood 8 feet 11 inches tall and refused to be a sideshow act

Ellsworth Toohey
Jun 15, 2026
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Robert Wadlow, the tallest person in recorded history Public domain (via Wikipedia)

Robert Wadlow of Alton, Illinois, was born on February 22, 1918, at a typical 8 pounds 5 ounces. By age eight, he was taller than his father. By his 1936 high school graduation, he was 8 feet 4 inches. When doctors measured him on June 27, 1940 — eighteen days before his …

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