Robert Pershing Wadlow, often known as the Giant of Illinois, was the tallest man who ever lived.
He was Born to Addie Johnson and Harold Wadlow in Alton, Illinois on 22.nd of February, 1918. He was the oldest of five children. Few months after his birth, he was diagnosed with gigantism, a rare genetic disorder that causes over-production of growth hormone. During his childhood, he was growing rapidly, reaching height of more than 3 feet 6 inches(106 cm) at the age of only 11 months, outgrowing both of his parents at the age of six and reaching 200 cm at the age of eleven.
During elementary school, he had to sit in special desk made for him, because of his exceptional heigh and weight(180 pounds). In 1936, after he graduated from Alton High School, he was 8 feet 4 inches(2.55 m) tall. His size soon began to take its toll; Robert Wadlow needed special leg braces to be able to walk, and lost feeling in his feet. However, he never used a wheelchair.

In 1936, Wadlow went on a U.S. Tour with the Ringling Bros. Circus, and continued to participate in various tours and public appearances, until his death in 1940. He died at the age of only 22 years due to parasitic infection. After his death, he was buried in a 10-feet long long coffin. Thousands of people attended his funeral in Upper Alton.
Eighteen days before his death, he was measured at 8 feet 11.1 inches(2.72 m), more than any other human in history. His shoe size was 37AA, largest in the world, and at the age of 21, one year before his death, his weight was recorded as being 492 pounds.

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