Skip navigation

World’s tallest man stands above competition

8-foot-5-inch Ukrainian dwarfs previous titleholder at a measly 7-foot-9

Web extra video
Meet the world's tallest man
Aug. 9: Standing a towering 8 feet 5 inches, Ukraine's Leonid Stadnyk tops the previous Guinness Book of World Records title-holder by 8 inches.

NBC News Web Extra

Slide show
The best and brightest?
Maybe not, but the superlative pictures from “Guinness World Records 2008,” released Aug. 7, 2007, are amazing!

more photos

Europe video  
Will Polanski be released on bail?
  Nov. 30: Roman Polanski, the film director accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl more than 30 years ago, is set to be released on house arrest later this week. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reports.

Text alerts on msnbc.com

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

  Your weather

Click to see the weather outlook for your destination

updated 7:21 p.m. ET Aug. 8, 2007

KIEV, Ukraine - A Ukrainian man is the tallest person in the world at 8 feet 5 inches, overshadowing a Chinese man who previously held the title, Guinness World Records said Wednesday.

Leonid Stadnik, a 37-year-old former veterinarian, is 8 inches taller than the former titleholder, China's Bao Xishun, who measured 7 feet 9 inches, Guinness World Records spokeswoman Amarilis Espinoza said in London.

Stadnik's growth spurt started at age 14 after a brain operation apparently stimulated his pituitary gland, which produces the human growth hormone.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

He lives with his mother, Halyna, in northwestern Ukraine, taking care of the family's house and garden.

According to Guinness, the tallest man in medical history was Illinois native Robert Pershing Wadlow, who was 8 feet 11 inches and died in 1940 at the age of 22.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored LinksGet listed here
Top Online Schools
Find the perfect online school and Boost your Career! Free Info Pack.
www.EarnMyDegree.com

Sponsored links

Resource guide