Tallest man ever Robert Wadlow was born on this day in 1918. By the age of five, he stood at a height of 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in), already wearing clothes intended for teenagers. He hit the six-foot mark (1.83 m) when he was just eight years old, outgrowing his father, Harold F. Wadlow. At 16 years old, Robert was 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in) tall, and at 17 he hit the eight-foot mark (2.45 m), becoming the tallest teenager ever. As an adult, he stood at 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m): taller than a grizzly bear standing