At 8 feet, 11 inches tall, Robert Wadlow of Alton, Ill., is the tallest man ever to be measured. Doctors attributed his growth to abnormalities in his pituitary gland. He was still growing in 1940 when he died of an infection, caused by a blister. He was only 22 years old.

Robert Wadlow, 8ft 11in

At 8 feet, 11 inches tall, Robert Wadlow of Alton, Ill., is the tallest man ever to be measured. Doctors attributed his growth to abnormalities in his pituitary gland. He was still growing in 1940 when he died of an infection, caused by a blister. He was only 22 years old. more