Until he died on March 4, 1950, Adam Rainer (1899–1950) held the record for “most unusual height change.” He has the unique distinction of being the only historical figure documented as having both dwarfism and gigantism in a lifetime. He was 4 feet 6.3 inches tall in 1917, when he was 18, and about 4 feet 8.3 inches tall in 1918, when he was 19. After that, Rainer’s height skyrocketed, and by 1931 he measured in at a towering 7 feet 1.8 inches. When he passed away in 1950, he measured 7 feet 8 inches in height (2.34 m).
-> See also: Robert Wadlow: The Tallest Man Ever in History
Adam Rainer’s Early Years
Adam Rainer entered the world in 1899, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the city of Graz. His father stood at 5 feet 8.9 inches and his mother at 5 feet 5 inches. His stepbrother also stood at 5 feet 8.9 inches. As a child, Rainer always had a negligible, slight build. He was a tiny, frail kid who struggled to walk until he was 21.
He Was a Literal Dwarf
If an adult is less than 4 feet 10 inches tall, they are deemed to have dwarfism, as described on page 97 of the Guinness World Records 2013. In 1917 and 1918, when Rainer was 18 and 19, he took the necessary military tests. But he was too frail and short to serve.
Both 4 feet 6.3 inches and about 4 feet 8.3 inches were noted as his heights at this time. Interestingly, it was remarked that despite Rainer’s diminutive stature and frailty, his feet were abnormally large. He reflected on the fact that his European shoe size was 43 when he was 18 years old.
According to the 1961 study “Two different types of gigantism due to similar tumors. Discussion of growth” by Oskar Hirsch, Rainer’s intelligence level was rather poor. He had to repeat grades. He picked up reading and writing (although in an “unorthographic style”), but he was never good at simple math.
According to Hirsch, cretins (mental and physical deficiency caused by insufficient thyroid hormone) tend to have this combination of short stature and retardation. Because pituitary dwarfs often have normal intelligence, Rainer’s situation is unlikely to be the result of a hormonal imbalance.
And He Was a Literal Giant
After turning 21 in 1920, Rainer began to experience a rapid growth surge. In 1931, at the age of 32, he measured 7 feet 1.8 inches tall and wore a European size 53 shoe (US men’s shoe size 18). After being a dwarf for more than 18 years due to the absence of thyroid function (cretinism), Adam Rainer was now a giant.
Either Adam Rainer or Väinö Myllyrinne (the tallest soldier in history) were the tallest living people in the world between 1940 and 1950. Before him, this honor belonged to Robert Wadlow (1918–1940), who died in 1940. At 8 ft 11 in, he is still the tallest documented person in history.
Did You Know?
Anton de Franckenpoint is the first person for whom there is substantial proof that he reached a height of 8 feet. In 1596, his skeleton made its exhibit debut.
How Did Adam Rainer Suddenly Get Too Tall?
This rapid development most likely resulted from the detrimental consequences of a tumor in Rainer’s pituitary gland, severely jeopardizing his health. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized organ at the base of the brain below the hypothalamus and it’s responsible for secreting growth hormone (GH). A tumor in the pituitary gland (pituitary adenomas) usually results in oversecretion of growth hormone, which is called gigantism (if it occurs at an early age) or acromegaly (if it occurs later). Rainer actually had acromegaly.
The gigantism and acromegaly conditions usually come with severe health deteriorations and patients often die early. Rainer’s eyesight deteriorated during the 1920s, and by the end of the decade, he could still read but was almost blind in his right eye. At around the same time, he started having trouble hearing out of his left ear. His spinal curvature first became apparent between 1925 and 1926. Up until 1925, he had no trouble eating, but after that, his health began to rapidly decline. Because of this, he was unable to leave bed and finally became a bedridden invalid.
His Official Body Measurements
Rainer was visited by doctors Dr. A. Mandl and Dr. F. Windholz from August 25, 1930, until May 23, 1931. Initial measurements showed a height of 6 feet 9.1 inches and a height of 7 feet 1 inch when appropriate adjustments were made (for his spinal curvature). Despite his extreme stature, Rainer was quite skinny, around 244 pounds (111 kg) in weight. In 1925, his foot was measured at 6.4 inches in length, his hand was 9.5 inches, his leg was 46.3 inches, his arm was 39.4 inches, and his torso was 23 inches.
The following table shows a summary of Rainer’s body measurements taken in 1925, when he was 26 years old:
| Height: | 6’9.1″ or 7’1″ (when adjusted) |
| Weight: | 111 kg (244 lb) |
| Torso length: | 23 inches (583 mm) |
| Arm length: | 39.4 inches (1000 mm) |
| Hand length: | 9.5 inches (241 mm) |
| Leg length: | 46.3 inches (1177 mm) |
| Foot length: | 6.4 inches (162 mm) |
Rainer Underwent Surgery to Stop His Growth
These tests established that an abnormality in the pituitary gland was accountable for the abnormally high levels of growth hormone in Adam Rainer. Acromegaly was evident in Rainer’s protruding facial characteristics and extremely huge limbs. Larger-than-average hands and feet, a prominent forehead and jaw, thicker lips, and more widely spaced teeth were just some of the external symptoms of acromegaly that he displayed.
After 10 years of extreme growth and turning from a dwarf into an extremely tall giant, it was concluded that removing the tumor from the pituitary gland, despite low expectations, was the best option. The surgery was necessary to take his symptoms under control and potentially lengthen his life.
On December 2, 1930, Rainer had surgery to remove this tumor, which was operated on by Prof. Oskar Hirsch. Removing the tumor would also mean the end of his growth spree. The next time he was measured was on May 20, 1931, a few months after the surgery. He measured 6 feet 9.1 inches tall after surgery, the same as he had previously, but his spinal curvature had deteriorated. Thus, the operation ended up being a failure because it meant he was still growing despite the removal of the tumor.
Rainer’s Death
Rainer died in 1950 at the age of 51. Newspaper accounts of his passing indicate that he stood at a height of between 7 feet 8 and 10 inches (234 and 239 cm). Both of these height figures were corrected figures after his spinal curvature.
Rainer lived a relatively long life compared to many other people with pituitary gland tumor; examples include Feodor Machnow (34), Bernard Coyne (24), Radhouane Charbib (37), and John Rogan (38). On the other hand, some exceptions exist: Felipe Birriel Fernández died at the age of 77 and Bao Xishun is still alive at the age of 71.