Record #00381Human Society archive
Tallest Person Ever Reliably Measured
Robert Wadlow of the United States was last measured at 272 cm on 27 June 1940, making him the tallest person in history supported by reliable medical documentation.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Current Record
272cm
Current record value
- Holder
- Robert Wadlow
- Location
- —
- Start date
- 1940-06-27
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteWadlow was born on 22 February 1918 in Alton, Illinois. His extraordinary growth was associated with abnormal pituitary growth-hormone regulation.
He died on 15 July 1940, less than a month after his final measurement. Guinness also maintains a separate tallest living person category, making this an all-time historical record.
Record history
1 Milestones- 272 cmRobert WadlowCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
Guinness, the US National Park Service or the auction house explicitly supports the record comparison and figure.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-05
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-05
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
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