This is a list of the tallest people, verified by the

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

or other reliable sources. According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest human in

recorded history Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world hist ...

was

Robert Wadlow Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 July 15, 1940), also known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois, was an American man who was the tallest person in recorded history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. He was born and raise ...

of the United States (1918–1940), who was . He received media attention in 1939 when he was measured to be the tallest man in the world, beating

John Rogan John William "Bud" Rogan February 12 – September 11, 1905; some sources indicate 1867, 1868 and 1871 as his birth year) is recorded as the second-tallest person ever at , behind only Robert Wadlow. Biography John Rogan was born in Hende ...

's record, after reaching a height of . There are reports about even taller people but most of such claims are unverified or erroneous. Since

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

, it has been reported about the finds of gigantic human skeletons. Originally thought to belong to mythical giants, these bones were later identified as the exaggerated remains of prehistoric animals, usually whales or elephants. Regular reports of giant human skeletons in American newspapers in 19th century probably initiated a case with a "petrified"

Cardiff Giant The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history. It was a , 3,000 pound purported "petrified man" uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. "Stub" Newell in Cardi ...

, a famous archaeological hoax.

Men

Women

Disputed and unverified claims

Tallest in various sports

Tallest living people from various nations

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tallest people Biological records Human height

Lists of people by physical attribute Lists of people-related superlatives

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...