This is a list of the tallest people, verified by Guinness World Records or other reliable sources.
According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest human in recorded history was Robert Wadlow of the United States (1918–1940), who was 272 cm (8 ft 11 in). He received media attention in 1939 when he was measured to be the tallest man in the world, beating John Rogan's record, after reaching a height of 267 cm (8 ft 9 in).
There are reports about even taller people but most of such claims are unverified or erroneous. Since antiquity, it has been reported about the finds of gigantic human skeletons. Originally thought to belong to mythical giants, these bones were later identified as the exaggerated remains of prehistoric animals, usually whales or elephants. Regular reports in American newspapers in the 18th and 19th centuries of giant human skeletons may have inspired the case of the "petrified" Cardiff Giant, a famous archaeological hoax.