8ft 11.1in (2.72m) tall Robert Wadlow posing for a family photograph, 1939.
Credit: Paille // CC BY-SA 2.0
Standing at nearly 9 feet tall, Robert Wadlow is the tallest person on record to have ever lived. For his entire life, Wadlow continued to grow and when he died at the age of 22, there was no indication that his growth was coming to an end.
At the age of 22 in 1940, he was measured to be 8ft 11.1in (2.72m) tall. This officially made him the tallest man to ever live, and 2 inches (5cm) taller than John Rogan who, until Wadlow, was the tallest person ever.