Stories of the Most Impressive Real-Life Giants

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Have you ever wondered if real-life giants actually existed? Well, you're in for a treat! In this video, we're diving into the incredible stories of some of the most impressive giants who ever walked the earth. In our mini-documentary, you'll find out the story of the tallest man — and person — ever, Robert Wadlow, and other giants who hold the official titles of the tallest people on our planet. Their life stories are full of challenges and mysteries. Don't miss out—hit play and join us on this journey into the world of real-life giants!

Transcript

00:00Imagine a person who weighs like an adult reindeer.

00:05As for their height, it is almost like two adults stacked one on the other.

00:10This is exactly what Robert Pershing Wadlow looked like.

00:14This American dude was the tallest person ever recorded, standing at a whopping 8 foot

00:1811.1 inches tall and weighing 439 pounds.

00:24Growing up, Wadlow was always the tallest kid in the room.

00:28At the age of 8, he was already as tall as his dad.

00:31And at the age of 9, he was strong and big enough to carry his own father.

00:36By the time he graduated high school, he had already grown to be 8 foot 4 inches tall.

00:43As for job prospects, he intended to become a lawyer, and he even enrolled in college.

00:48But his height let him have a few side hustles.

00:51First, circus performers that made him a celebrity in no time.

00:55Second, in 1938, he kicked off a promo tour with the International Shoe Company, snagging

01:01free shoes along the way.

01:03While the wasn't about that freak show life, he saw himself as a walking ad for the company.

01:10Because of his huge stature, he needed to wear special braces on his legs to help him walk.

01:15He never used a wheelchair, but walking was definitely a big struggle for him.

01:20Sadly, an infection from a faulty brace led to his untimely demise in 1940.

01:26His coffin was so huge that it took 12 pallbearers and 8 assistants to carry it.

01:32To this day, a life-size statue of Wadlow stands tall in Alton, his hometown.

01:38Throughout his short life, and Robert only lived 22 years, he never stopped growing.

01:44Each year, he would get an extra few inches to his gigantic height.

01:48When he was 21 years old, he passed John Rogan in terms of height, and that was the guy who

01:54had been recorded as the tallest guy ever before Robert came into play.

01:59Rob's predecessor, John Bud Rogan, born in Tennessee, was known as the tallest non-mobile

02:04person ever, measuring 8 feet 9 inches.

02:09His rapid growth started at 13 years old due to gigantism, leading to joint stiffness.

02:15Despite his condition preventing physical labor, Rogan made a living selling portraits and postcards.

02:20He declined offers to join carnivals and sideshows, preferring to maintain his independence.

02:26Rogan used a goat-pulled cart as a wheelchair.

02:29He was known for his deep voice and playful demeanor.

02:33Unlike Robert Wadlow, John Rogan didn't boast a reindeer-like weight.

02:37On the contrary, he only weighed 174 pounds, which is two and a half times less than Robert.

02:46Zheng Jinlian from China rocked the world by becoming the tallest woman ever recorded in

02:50modern times.

02:52Despite her parents and siblings being of average height, she had a gene for towering greatness.

02:57But her stature was the result of a condition.

03:00The thing is, a tumor messed with her hormones and made her shoot up in height.

03:05By age 13, she had already been taller than the tallest guy of the same age.

03:11Zheng managed to graduate even with all the attention her height brought.

03:15People came from far and wide to meet her and gawk at her impressive stature.

03:20Even though doctors suggested surgery to remove the tumor causing her rapid growth, Zheng decided

03:25to keep it.

03:26She didn't want to lose her hair.

03:28She was quite the foodie too, eating tons of dumplings and rice each day to fuel her

03:33body.

03:34Sadly, health issues caught up with her, and she passed away in 1982.

03:39Her height was recorded as 8 feet 2 inches.

03:42She beat out Jane Bunford for the title of the tallest woman to ever walk the earth and

03:47even had a moment as the tallest person alive from 1981 to 1982.

03:54By the way, Jane Bunford was the tallest recognized British person known to date.

03:59At a height of 7 feet 11 inches, she definitely stood out in a crowd.

04:04Born in Birmingham in 1895, Jane was an average Jane until 11 years old.

04:10At that age, she had an accident that changed her life forever.

04:13A head injury damaged her pituitary gland, causing an excess of growth hormone to send

04:19her height skyrocketing.

04:21Due to discomfort caused by her gigantic size, she had to drop out of school.

04:27Although she had opportunities to profit from her unique stature, Jane chose to live a quiet

04:32life.

04:33In her final years, she became a recluse due to the unwanted attention her height brought.

04:38Following joint issues and a severe spinal curvature, Jane passed away at the age of 26.

04:46Hey, I have a quick question for you.

04:48Is height something that can change or not?

04:51It seems like we actually do get a little taller during the day and shrink back down at

04:56night.

04:57Let's thank gravity for this.

04:59But there was this one crazy case where a guy named Adam Rayner was super short at 21,

05:04only 3 feet and 10.5 inches, but then he suddenly started growing like crazy.

05:11By the time he was 32, he was 7 feet 1.75 inches tall.

05:16Unfortunately, all that growth happened so fast that he ended up bedridden for life and didn't

05:21become a basketball star.

05:25Socks can be a real hassle for tall people.

05:28Don Kohler, who wore size 22 shoes, once said his biggest clothing issue was finding socks

05:34that fit.

05:35Luckily, he found a company in Pennsylvania that made custom socks for him.

05:41Don was really tall, one of only 24 people in history to reach over 8 feet tall.

05:47He was known as the world's tallest man from 1969 until he passed away in 1981, having grown

05:53to 8 feet 2 inches.

05:55He had a condition called gigantism, which made him grow abnormally starting from the

05:59age of 10.

06:01Don was born in Denton, Montana, to parents who were taller than average.

06:05He had a twin sister, but she was 5 feet 9 inches.

06:09It was a record-breaking height difference of 2 foot 5 in between twins, as recognized

06:14by the Guinness World Records.

06:16Don worked as a salesman for 25 years using his height as an advantage when meeting with

06:21customers.

06:23If you, too, wear a larger shoe size, you know how frustrating trying to find the perfect

06:27pair can be.

06:29Trencha Kiever from the Netherlands definitely understood the struggle.

06:33Born in 1616, she is rumored to be the tallest woman in history, standing at 9 Amsterdam feet.

06:40Sadly, she passed away at just 17 years old.

06:44Her original shoes, which were over 14 inches in length, European size 54 or American size

06:5022 are still on display.

06:53Her parents even took her to carnivals to make money by showing her off.

06:58Trencha first gained attention when she was 9 years old.

07:01At that time, she was already 6 foot 7 inches tall.

07:05A royal group, including the Bohemian King and his family, visited her in the Hague, curious

07:10about the 9-year-old girl taller than every man in Europe.

07:15The Netherlands is home to some seriously tall folks, with the average height of its residents

07:20being 6 feet.

07:21The US may have produced some behemoths in the past, but the current titles for the tallest

07:26man and woman are held by Turkey.

07:29Meet Rumesa Gelci, Turkey's towering treasure and Guinness World Records queen.

07:35At 24, this 7 foot tall lady is not just the tallest woman alive, but also a front-end web

07:41developer, crime novel enthusiast and swimming pro.

07:46Overcoming challenges with Weaver Syndrome, she's a fighter and a voice for rare conditions.

07:52As of 2024, Sultan Khosin is the world's tallest living man.

07:58Back in 2009, he shot to fame when he was measured by the Guinness World Records.

08:02He was 8 feet 1 inches tall.

08:05Can you believe that?

08:06Only a handful of people in history have ever reached that height.

08:10This Turkish farmer didn't start sprouting up until he was 10 years old.

08:14And get this, everyone in his family is of average height except for him.

08:19He has a condition called pituitary gigantism.

08:22Being super tall definitely has its pros and cons for Sultan.

08:26He can easily help his mom with household tasks, but shopping for clothes and squeezing

08:31into a regular-sized car can be a real challenge.

08:34And playing professional basketball?

08:36Not in the cards, as he's just too tall for the courts.

08:40Sultan also holds the record for the largest hands on a living person.

08:43Man.

08:44.

08:45.

08:46.

08:47.

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