How tall is the tallest person ever lived in the world? The tallest man ever recorded was Robert Pershing Wadlow. He measured 8ft 11.1(about 2.72 m) in height in 1940. His shoes were 47 cm long, and his hands measured 34.4 cm from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist. Born in Alton, Illinois, Robert was able to carry his own father up the stairs when he was just 9 years old. His father weighed 170lb and was 5ft 11in.