Only person to have been a dwarf and a giant

Adam Rainer (1899 – 4 March 1950) was the only person in recorded history to have been both a dwarf and a giant.[1] He is believed to have had acromegaly.[2]

Biography [ edit ]

Rainer was born in Graz, Austria-Hungary.[3] In 1917, at age 18, he was measured at 122.55 cm (4 ft 0.25 in), then in 1918, at age 19, he was measured at 111.5 cm (3 ft 7.9 in). A typical defining characteristic of dwarfism is an adult height below 147 cm (4 ft 10 in). Then, likely as a result of a pituitary tumor, he had a dramatic growth spurt so that by 1932 at the age of 33 he had reached a height of 218 cm (7 ft 2 in).[4] As a result of his gigantism he became bedridden for the rest of his life.[3] When he died in 1950 (age 51) he had reached a height of 234 cm (7 ft 8 in).[5] His feet measured 33.3 cm (13.1 inches),[citation needed] going from US shoe size 10 (EUR size 43) at aged 19 to size 20 (EUR 53) only three years later.[6] His hands measured 23.9 cm (9.4 inches)[citation needed] and he weighed 109 kg (241 pounds).[citation needed]

References [ edit ]



