Don Koehler
| Don Koehler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
September 1, 1925 Denton, Montana |
| Died | February 26, 1981 (aged 55) |
Donald A. Koehler (September 1, 1925 – February 26, 1981) is one of 17 known people in medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more. He was generally recognized as the tallest man in the world from at least 1969 until his death in 1981. At one time, Koehler stood 249 cm (8' 2") tall, a result of the medical condition acromegalic gigantism.
He was born in Denton, Montana, USA. Koehler and his twin sister were born to parents of above average height (their mother was 178 cm (5' 10"), their father was 188 cm (6' 2")). He started an abnormal period of growth when he was 10 years old. The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed Koehler at a standing height of 249 cm (8' 2") in tall at his peak. His twin sister was 175 cm (5' 9") for a record difference of 74 cm (29") between the two twins as recognized by Guinness.
Later in life, he suffered from the medical condition kyphosis, resulting in (often severe) curvature of the spine. Koehler died in 1981 in Chicago from a reported heart condition, by which time he was estimated to be about 239 cm (7' 10") tall. He was 55 years old.
| Preceded by Unknown: Closest is Väinö Myllyrinne who had the record six years earlier. |
Tallest Recognized Person c.1968-1981 |
Succeeded by Unknown: Closest is Zeng Jinlian who had the record one year later. |