How Does Robert Wadlow, "The Alton Giant" Centennial | Living St. Louis Work?

Robert Wadlow, also known as "The Alton Giant," was a man who grew to be extremely tall, like, super-tall, almost like a giant!

Imagine stacking 10 of your toy blocks on top of each other, that’s about how much taller Robert was than the average person. His height came from something special inside his body: gigantic bones and a lot of cartilage, which is soft stuff between our joints, like the padding in a shoe.

Robert's growth wasn’t magic, it was because he had a condition called acromegaly. This means his body kept making him grow even when he was an adult, just like how some kids keep growing taller until they're 18 or older.

His bones got longer and thicker, and his feet got so big that he needed custom-made shoes, imagine having shoes as big as a suitcase!

"The Alton Giant" Centennial is about celebrating Robert Wadlow’s life on the 100th anniversary of his birth. People remember him through fun events, like wearing really tall hats or playing giant games.

Living St. Louis helped tell this story so everyone could learn how one very tall man became a legend, just like a superhero!