Never-Seen Illinois Video of Tallest Man in History Released

Every account I've ever heard of Robert Wadlow was that he was a gentle giant. His life in Alton, Illinois has been well documented, but there was very little video due to the fact that he lived in the 1920's. One family has just come forward, though, and shared new video of the world's tallest man who ever lived.

Robert Wadlow from Alton, Illinois is officially the world's tallest man who's ever lived at 8 ft 11.1 in tall

Bruce Jensen has just shared never-before-seen video of Robert Wadlow with Guinness World Records. His grandfather was a fan of new technology and bought a video camera and film projector in the 1920's. His mother and Robert Wadlow had the same birthday of February 22 so his grandfather arranged for Robert to meet her and captured video of the occasion.

He was touched when the video showed his mother walking away from Robert after they posed together, but then reaching back to hold his hand. He happily obliged and walked her down the sidewalk. You can watch him share his story and the family video no one has ever seen previously.

Robert Wadlow sadly did not live a long life. He passed away at age 22 after a faulty brace irritated his ankle and led to a fatal infection. While he was known world-wide for his extreme height, many in Alton prefer to remember him for his dignity and well-known kindness. That's a better legacy than any Guinness World Record.

@guinnessworldrecords Here's why the Robert Wadlow the tallest man ever - 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 in) - is Guinness World Records ICON #GWR70 ♬ original sound - Guinness World Records