Robert Wadlow, Tallest Man

Who is the tallest man in recorded history? You may know the answer if you live near Alton, IL, or have ever visited a Guinness World Records Museum or a Ripleys Believe It or Not Museum.

Robert Wadlow was born in Alton, IL, on February 22, 1918, to very average sized parents. His mother was about 5 ft 6 in tall, and his father was about 6 ft tall. When he was born, he weighed 8 lb 6 oz, and was about 18 inches long. Very normal. Unfortunately, this was the only time in his life that he was normal sized.

Robert standing next to his father

Robert suffered from a condition called hyperplasia of his pituitary gland. Hyperplasia is a condition where an organ produces an unusually high amount of cell. In Robert's case, the overabundance of cells in his pituitary gland caused him to continue to rapidly grow his whole life. His size caused him a great deal of pain, so he had to wear leg braces in order to walk. It got to the point he couldn't feel his feet or most of his legs. He would walk with a cane, but refused to use a wheelchair.

He became a celebrity starting in 1936 when he toured with the Ringling Brothers Circus. He continued to tour in the following years, but in those tours he wore his own street clothes. On June 27, 1940, he was measured and checked in at 8 ft 11.1 in tall, officially being declared the tallest person on record. On July 4, 1940, he was at a public appearance at the Manistee National Forest Festival. His leg brace irritated his ankle which caused a blister that soon became infected. Doctors performed a blood transfusion and a emergency surgery. His condition grew worse, and he died in his sleep on July 15, 1940. He was buried in a 10 foot long casket that weighed nearly half a ton.

Below is a list of events in his life and how tall he was at the time.

When he began to walk at 11 months old, he was about 3 ft 5.75 in tall and weighed 45 lbs.
At age 4 1/2, he passed his mother's height. He was 5 ft 6.5 in tall and weighed 120 lbs.
At age 5, he attended kindergarten. He was 5 ft 10 in tall and weighed 143 lbs.
At age 6, he passed his father's height. He was 6 ft tall and weighed 160 lbs.
At age 9, he was strong enough to carry his father upstairs. He was 6 ft 5 in tall and weighed 180 lbs.
At age 13, he wore a size 25 shoe size. He was 7 ft 4 in and weighed 301 lbs.
At age 18, he was 8 ft 4 in tall and weighed 391 lbs.
At age 22, he was 8 ft 11.1 in tall and weighed 492 lbs.

Although the condition of hyperplasia of the pituitary gland is rare, it does happen. Once the diagnosis has been made, it is possible to correct it. This treatment only stops growth, so if you are already abnormally large, you will stay that way, but you won't continue growing.

Robert's statue in Alton, IL

Robert Wadlow was known as the "Alton Giant" as well as the "Gentle Giant". He is still well known today for as much of his pleasant demeanor as his size.

The Civil War Widow of the 21st Century?

Who was the last Civil War widow to die? Her name was Maudie Hopkins. Would it surprise you to know that she died in 2008? How could it be that someone married a man who served in the war at a time between 1861-65 and die almost 150 years afterward? Actually, it's a simple manner.

Cantrell and Hopkins

You see, back in the early 1900's, young women would marry these older Civil War veterans in order to obtain his pension once he died. In Arkansas (where Maudie was from) made a state law in 1937 saying that women who married these veterans were not eligible for the pensions. The law was changed in 1939 to say that women who married the men after 1870 were not eligible.

Maudie married William M. Cantrell in 1934. He supported her with his pension, and after he died, she obtained his house in 1937. The pensions were cut off in 1937 because of the state law. She went on to remarry that same year and two times afterward.

In case you're curious, William M. Cantrell had enlisted in the Confederate army and served in the Virginia Infantry. He had been captured in 1863 and was released in a prisoner exchange.

William Cantrell's gravestone

By now, you're probably curious of how their ages matched up and how this all is possible. Cantrell joined the Confederate army at age 16. Maudie was born in 1914. Cantrell's wife died in 1929. Maudie married Cantrell in 1934: he was 86, she was 19. Maudie went onto live to the age of 93 when she passed away in 2008.

Maudie has the distinction of being the last known Civil War widow, but there are rumored to be two more: one in Tennessee and one in North Carolina. If these two are still alive, they apparently want to remain anonymous. Maudie didn't like to talk about her first marriage for fear of a tarnished reputation and gossip in the community.