Turkey's Sultan Kösen, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest man living, recently celebrated a milestone birthday, wishing that he keeps holding on to the title.
Kösen, who is 8 feet and 2.8 inches tall, turned 40 on December 10. He celebrated his birthday a few days ahead, at American franchise Ripley's Believe It or Not!.
He cut a cake and posed next to the statue of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever.
Kösen was first recognised as the tallest man on Earth in 2009.
Life suddenly took a turn for the better for the man who was limited by his condition -- pituitary gigantism. He couldn't attend school and was told he was too tall to play basketball.
"After that day, I was born," Kösen told Guinness. "Before that, I was a very silent person. Now, I can talk. I’m happy. I’m funny. I enjoy my life."
Since then, he has travelled to more than a hundred countries, appeared on television and become a cultural ambassador for Turkey.
Most importantly, he underwent a life-saving surgery to stop growing taller.
Kösen told Guinness his birthday wish was to keep travel more and retain his world record. "I hope there will be no one taller than me," he added, jokingly."
He has used some of the money he earned to build remodel in his village home to adjust to his needs.
Kösen said he tries to do his best for his country, people and culture. He has refused the citizenship of many countries abroad, saying he is proud to be a Turkish national.
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