In a world filled with enigmatic feats and exceptionalities, one thing that never fails to intrigue us is height. They rewrite the rules of stature, of which massiveness is often equated with greatness! Some people have defied this notion, turning their smaller stature into a testament of exceptional resilience.

In this article, we will delve into the life of the world’s smallest person. 

Who is the World’s Shortest Person

The shortest man ever in the history of mankind is Chandra Bahadur Dangi (Nepal) measuring only 54.6 cm (21.5 in) in height as verified at CIWEC Clinic Travel Medicine Center in Lainchaur, Kathmandu, Nepal. His height was measured by taking more than six measurements at different times of a day. Dangi claimed to be 72 years old at the time of verifying his height and weighed around 14.5 kg (31 lb 15.52 oz). Dangi achieved the title of the world’s shortest man by surpassing the previous record set by Gul Mohammed (1957–1997), whose height was 57 cm (1 ft 10 in). Dangi was officially recognised as the world’s shortest man on 26 February 2012. 

Life of Dangi

Before being recognised by the Guinness World Record, Dangi was living in a remote village in Kathmandu, earning his alms as a weaver and farmer. His life was an example of resilience amid adversity and poverty. Before he was awarded the title, he never left his village and wished to travel the entire country. A rare genetic condition, called primordial dwarfism, was the reason behind Dangi’s abnormally short stature. Needless to mention, he had to face a lot of challenges due his short height. Despite all challenges, the positivity and unwavering spirit that Dangi nurtured toward life are commendable and set an example of embracing all uniqueness wholeheartedly. 

With the title came fame and recognition to Dangi and made his dream of travelling come true.He even got the chance to show a spark of his humility and simplicity to the entire world by appearing on a number of TV shows.

On September 3, 2015, at the age of 75, Dangi took his last breath.

World’s Shortest Living Person

Born on 13 July 2002, Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, from Iran, holds the title for the world’s shortest living man. Standing at only 65.24 cm (2 ft 1.6 in), Afshin was the fourth shortest man ever recognised by the Guinness World record. Before Afshin, the title was held by Edward “Niño” Hernandez – a 36 years old man from Colombia who is 7 cm taller than Afshin. 

Past Title Holders: Remarkable Life of the World’s Shortest Person

Shortest Men

Gul Mohammed (India)

Gul Mohammad from India was the title holder for the world’s shortest man before Chandra Bahadur Dangi was recognised by Guinness World Records. He stood only 22 inches (57 cm) tall and for his diminutive height, got the Guinness World Records recognition in 1990.

Junrey Balawing (Philippines)

Measuring only 22 inches (56.0 cm), Junrey Balawing from Philippines was recognised as the world’s shortest non-mobile person after the dismissal of Dangi in 2015. Until his death in 2020, he was the ultimate title holder. 

Khagendra Thapa Magar (Nepal)

Born on October 14, 1992, Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal stood 67.08 cm (2 ft 2.41 in) tall. His diminutive stature earned him the title for the world’s shortest man in 2010. In May 2008, Khagendra appeared in a British documentary named The World’s Smallest Man and Me telecast on Channel 4. Khagendra Thapa Magar died on  17 January 2020 at the age of 27.

Lin Yü-chih (Taiwan)

Born in 1972, Lin Yü-chih from Taiwan was verified by the Guinness World Records as world’s shortest man in 1991.His small stature standing at a height of 67.5 cm (26.6 inches) made him keep the title in his bucket for 17 consecutive years since 2009. 

Edward Niño Hernández (Colombia)

Standing only 27.64 inches (70.21 cm), Edward Niño Hernández from Colombia was certified as the world’s shortest man by the Guinness World Records on September 4, 2010. He won the title after the dismissal of He PingPing – the former title-holder who has the same height as Edward. title-holder of the world’s shortest man after the dismissal of Pingping in 2010. The title was then won by Khagendra Thapa Magar. However, after Magar’s death in 2020, the record was up for grabs again and Edward regained the title. In 2022, a new record was set by Ghaderzadeh in December 2022 who is now recognised as the world’s shortest man. 

Dor Bahadur Khapangi (Nepal)

Dor Bahadur Khapangi (Nepal)

Born in 2004, Dor Bahadur Khapangi from Nepal was recognised as the world’s shortest teenager (man) by the Guinness World Records.

He Pingping (China)

Born in 1988, He Pingping from China was the shortest man ever until his dismissal in 2010. He stood 29 inches (74 cm) tall.

World’s Shortest Woman 

Pauline Musters

Born in 1878, Pauline Musters from the Netherlands was measured at 24 inches (61cm). She was recognised as the shortest woman ever by the Guinness World Records. Her remarkable life ended in 1895.

Jyoti Amge 

Jyoti Amge from India is the current title-holder of the world’s shortest woman (living) according to the Guinness World Records. Born in 1993, Jyoti is measured at 62.8 cm (24.7 in)

Madge Bester

Magde Bester, a South African woman held the title of the world’s shortest woman before Jyoti. Her height was 65 cm (26 in). She lived from 1963 to 2018.

Bridgette Jordan

Bridgette Jordan, an American born in 1989 was recognised as the world’s smallest living woman by the Guinness World Records. Her height was measured at only 27 inches (69cm). Bridgette died in 2019.

Reasons Behind Short Stature

When the height of a person is <2 standard deviations or below the third percentile, is called short stature. Short stature is attributed to a range of reasons – malnutrition, genetic disorder, medical conditions, etc. 

Studies have found that around 20% children with height <3 standard deviations below the mean suffer from pathological conditions. 

Genetic Conditions

Short stature can be attributed to a range of genetic conditions, such as: 

• Primordial Dwarfism: People with primordial dwarfism have small stature from even before birth. The reason behind this dwarfism is abnormal mutation in genes that play the key role in DNA replication and cell division. For example, mutation in RNU4ATAC gene results in microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (MOPD) types I and III.

• Achondroplasia: Mutation in the FGFR3 gene makes the protein hyper active, causing achondroplasia – another common type of dwarfism. 

Some other genetic conditions leading to dwarfism include Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome, etc.

Health Conditions

Certain health conditions can also lead to short stature:

• Undernutrition: people suffering from malnutrition can face growth issues. 
• Hypothyroidism: an underactive An underactive thyroid gland can also hinder growth. 
• Tumors in the pituitary gland: People with tumors in their pituitary gland cannot produce enough hormones, thus suffering from short height.
• People suffering from inflammatory and chronic issues for example, celiac disease, face complexity in nutrient absorption that can affect their overall growth. 
• Rheumatologic diseases: people with rheumatologic diseases often have short stature due to the disease itself or the glucocorticoid treatment they undergo.

Types of Short Stature

Short stature can be of two types:

1. Proportionate Short Stature (PSS) is when the person has their body parts grown in usual proportions.
2. Disproportionate Short Stature (DSS) is when the person has short limbs in proportion to their trunk. People with achondroplasia usually suffer from DSS.

Treatment

Treatment may vary with the underlying causes of short stature. For example, short stature caused by lack of growth hormones can be treated with medications.

Life as the World’s Shortest Person: Challenges and Achievements

People with short stature face social and economic challenges due to their diminutive size. However, most of them defy these constraints and reign the world that enslaves physical strength. For example, Jyoti Amge, world’s shortest woman (living) has enchanted the world with her lively presence in the entertainment world.