Rare Video Shows Illinois Native Robert Wadlow, Tallest Man Ever
It's hard to fathom just how tall Robert Pershing Wadlow was. He was known as the Alton Giant and there's rare video that's just been shared that gives you and idea what it was like for the man who's confirmed to be the tallest man ever.
The story of Robert Pershing Wadlow is a sad one. I had a call a few months ago from a man who lived in the same neighborhood as Mr. Wadlow. He recounted that his height was staggering. He was measured at 8 ft 11.1 in just 11 days before he passed away in July of 1940.
This video shows Robert towering over other people and vehicles and buildings. He truly was a giant.
The video does a good job of sharing the facts of Robert Wadlow's life. He was only 22 years old when he passed after an infection struck him down after an ankle injury. The one aspect that the video can't tell is what a kind man he apparently was. My friend who lived near him back in the day described how many kids in the neighborhood of Alton where he lived would go see him and you'd never hear him complain about his situation. The medical condition that caused his extreme height was taken in stride by a man who's stride was larger than any before or after him.
His life felt like it ended too soon, but many that are old enough to remember still think of him as the Alton giant...a truly gentle giant of a man.
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