The tallest man ever recorded was American giant Robert Wadlow (1918–1940), who stood 8 feet 11 inches. Wadlow’s size was the result of an abnormally enlarged pituitary gland.
100 Mind-Blowing Pituitary Facts
The tallest living man is 39-year-old Sultan Kösen, from Turkey, who is 8 feet, 2.8 inches, and set the record in 2009. His growth is also due to a pituitary issue.