13 Facts About Tall People That Will Make You Say "Holy Shit"
Bonus fact: The weather up here is pretty much the same.
1. Tall people might be a little smarter.
2. And tall people are more likely to be leaders.
The majority (58%) of Fortune 500 CEOs are over 6 feet tall. And 38 of the last 43 American presidents have been taller than average height (5 feet 10 inches). Of course, it could just be that society is more likely to associate height with confidence and other leadership qualities.
5. The world's tallest people are in the Netherlands, where men average nearly 6 feet tall.
6. The tallest person ever was Robert Wadlow.
Born on Feb. 22, 1918, Wadlow was 6 feet 5 inches at the age of 10, and eventually grew to be 8 feet 11 inches tall.
7. His shoe size was a 37AA.
A goddamn 18.5-inch foot!
8. The world's tallest living person, Sultan Kösen, stands at 8 feet 3 inches tall.
Here he is at his wedding — his wife is 5 feet 9 inches.
9. Zeng Jinlian holds the record for world's tallest woman ever.
Standing at 8 feet 1.75 inches tall.
10. This kind of serious height is sometimes the result of the rare health conditions gigantism and acromegaly.
Both are disorders in the pituitary gland that cause excess production of growth hormone. Gigantism causes kids' bones to grow larger than normal, whereas acromegaly occurs after normal bone development has stopped — causing other body parts, like the hands, feet, and chest, to keep growing.
It's been reported that both Wadlow's and Kösen's heights are the result of gigantism.
11. Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol are the two tallest people to ever play in the NBA — at 7 feet 7 inches.
It's also been reported that Muresan has gigantism and acromegaly.
12. Research shows that tall people may have a lower risk of heart disease.
13. And finally, tall men are the primary target of the bloodsucking Scottish biting midge.
Apparently because we're larger targets that produce more heat, moisture, and carbon dioxide. 😳