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Watch: When the world's tallest man met the shortest

World's shortest man, Chandra Bahadur Dangi's home in Nepal was so remote that it wasn't until a forest contractor cutting wood in the village met him and informed local media that his incredible size came to light.

December 13, 2023 / 18:34 IST
Guinness World Records arranged for Turkey's Sultan Kosen to meet Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Dangi in London, in 2014. (Image credit: GWR)

The tallest man in the world, Sultan Kosen, turned 41 on December 10, and to celebrate his birthday, the Guinness World Records shared a video from 2014 when Kosen met Chandra Dangi -- the world's shortest man -- in London.

"A very happy birthday to the tallest living man, Sultan Kosen," the organisation shared on Instagram. "In 2014, Sultan (251 cm/8 ft 2.8 in) met the shortest man ever, Chandra Dangi on Guinness World Records Day. They were joined by GWR's Editor-in-Chief, Craig Glenday."

Kosen has a condition called pituitary gigantism, which made him 8 feet 2.8 inches tall.


While talking to the Guinness Book of World Records, Kosen shared how he could never attend school properly and was signed to the Galatasaray basketball team. But he could not continue with the sport as he was deemed too tall to play it. Kosen then went on to help his family with farming.

In 2009, he made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest man and was the first over 8 feet to hold the title.

Kosen has travelled to more than a hundred countries, appeared on television, and is now a cultural ambassador for Turkey.

Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal was in 2012  verified as the shortest man. His height was only 21.5 inches.

The Nepalese record holder died in 2015, aged 75. Dangi was a primordial dwarf, a condition that rarely sees people survive past 30.

The Nepalese record holder was a primordial dwarf and lived for 75 years. (Image credit: Guinness World Records) The Nepalese record holder was a primordial dwarf and lived for 75 years. (Image credit: Guinness World Records)

Until his recognition by Guinness World Records, Dangi had spent his entire life in the remote Nepalese mountain village of Rhimkholi, about 560 km west of Kathmandu. He lived there with his five brothers (all of an average height) and made his living weaving traditional Nepalese garments.

Dangi's home was so remote that it wasn't until a forest contractor cutting wood in the village met him and informed local media that his incredible size came to light, the Guinness World Records stated on its website.

first published: Dec 13, 2023 06:34 pm

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