Robert Wadlow's cause of death explained: What really happened?
When Oscar Wilde said moderation is fatal, and nothing succeeds like excess, he was not thinking of Robert's situation. Robert Wadlow's cause of death resulted from the same thing that made him famous—his height. He was the tallest man in the world, and according to the Guinness World Record book, no one has surpassed Wadlow.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
When his peers were still clinging to their mother's bosoms and wearing hand-me-downs, Robert Wadlow was already a class act. Everything about him had to be customised, and he could even hand his shirts down to his dad by the time he was 12. If you find that interesting, read on to get more revelation about the tallest man that ever lived.
Profile summary
Full name | Robert Pershing Wadlow |
Nicknames | The Alton Giant, The Giant of Illinois, The Gentle Giant, The Tallest Man Who Ever Lived, The Gentleman Giant, The Boy Giant |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 22 February 1918 |
Age at death | 22 years old |
Date of death | 15 July 1940 |
Place of birth | Alton, Illinois, United States of America |
Place of death | Manistee, Michigan |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Height | 8'11" (272 cm) |
Weight | 439 lbs (199 kg) |
Shoe size | 37 AA (US) |
Hair colour | Brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Parents | Harold Franklin Wadlow and Addie May Johnson |
Siblings | Four |
Marital status | Single |
Education | Alton High School, Shurtleff College (briefly) |
Profession | Advertiser (worked with the International Shoe Company) |
Robert Wadlow's cause of death
Robert died from an injury to his ankle. As published in Time, a statement made by medical doctor Humbered, who examined him years before he passed away, said:
He is unaware of a wrinkle in his sock or a foreign body in his shoe until a blister, followed by an ulcer, is formed.
Source: Original
History of Robert Wadlow
Born on 22 February 1918 in Alton, Illinois, Robert's parents were average-sized. He was the first of five children, but no one could have predicted his height at death, given that he weighed a normal 8.7 pounds (3.85 kg) at birth.
Half a decade later, he was already 5 feet 4 inches tall, wearing teenage clothes, and was taller than his father by age eight. Despite his extraordinary height, Robert tried to live an everyday life with his family while growing up. By age 13, he was a Boy Scout, helping design customised equipment.
The Alton Giant, as he was popularly called, graduated from high school in 1936 and attended Shurtleff College briefly with the aspiration to become an attorney. His height hindered studying in a school environment, and he sought other ways to stay fulfilled.
Robert found a passion in leveraging his unique height and joined a circus. Years later, he became an ambassador for the International Shoe Company. The company gave him customised shoes for his size freely. This was a great deal as it would have cost him $100 at the time to have one built to his shoe size of 37AA specification.
Exploring Robert Wadlow's disease condition
Robert Wadlow's cause of height was ascribed to pituitary gigantism. This rare condition results from hyperplasia of the pituitary gland. An oversecretion of the human growth hormone characterises it, leading to a never-ending growth as long as such individual lives.
The condition can be treated nowadays, but Robert's case went untreated because of the dangers associated with surgical operations at the time. He continued growing until his death, when, according to Guinness World Records, he was 8 feet and 11.1 inches tall while weighing 439 pounds.
A post by Tallsome revealed that Robert could not walk properly and had to use canes and leg braces. Medical analyses also disclosed that he had decreased sensation in his feet, making him oblivious to injuries like ulcers and blisters until they became unbearable.
Source: Getty Images
How old was the tallest person ever when he died?
According to an article by Guinness World Records, Robert Wadlow was 22 when he passed away in July 1940. He had been on tour and participated in a Manistee National Forest Festival parade.
Unknown to him, a poorly fitted iron brace had resulted in a blister on his right ankle. Reduced sensation on his feet meant that the blister festered unattended.
The injury became infected, and the emergency surgery and blood transfusion that Robert got did nothing to relieve him of his pain. He passed away in his sleep at 1:30 a.m. on 15 July 1940.
Robert Wadlow's coffin and funeral
Robert's funeral was historic. His custom-made steel coffin measured 10 feet nine inches and weighed over 453 kilograms.
Sixteen pallbearers carried his coffin as thousands of people came to Alton, Illinois, to mourn his death. His family sealed his burial vault with concrete to prevent anyone from tampering with his remains.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
Robert's life inspired curiosity, which has led to several inquiries into his legacy. Below are the questions and the best answers:
- How long did the tallest man live? Robert Wadlow lived for 22 years. A blister treated a little too late shortened his life of fame.
- Who was Robert Wadlow's wife? He was unmarried at the time of his death.
- Who are Robert Wadlow's kids? He had no children.
- Is there a human taller than Robert Wadlow? No one has yet to break Robert Wadlow's height record of 8 feet 11.1 inches.
- Where is the tallest person buried? The Alton Giant rests easy at the Oakwood Cemetery in Alton, Illinois.
- Where is Robert Wadlow's skeleton? His remains lie in a cemetery as his family made sure to seal his burial site.
- Who is the tallest person alive today? Sultan Kösen, born on 10 December 1982 and measuring 8'3", holds the title of the tallest man living.
Robert Wadlow's cause of death is a testament to the importance of moderation. This Gentle Giant lived a life of fascination that reminded people that miracles exist. Remembered several decades after his demise, a life-size bronze statue of Robert was put up in Alton in 1985, and some museums also have life-size representations of him.
READ ALSO: Who has the biggest forehead in the world? Facts and photos
As published on Briefly.co.za, according to anthropometric studies, the average forepart occupies about 25-30% of the facial area. Situated on the upper face, it lies below the hairline and above the brows.
Bound by the frontal bone and hairline, the forehead's size and shape vary widely, making huge ones fascinating and worthy of record-breaking attention. Who has the biggest forehead? Discover it and other lesser-known facts.
Source: Briefly News
