The most brilliant minds and impactful figures don’t always come in large packages. Many individuals of shorter stature have achieved remarkable fame and fortune, proving that height is no barrier to success.
Dwarfism, which can result from more than 200 medical conditions, often stems from bone disorders like osteogenesis imperfecta, which hinder growth, or from metabolic and hormonal conditions such as growth hormone deficiency. Without further delay, here’s a look at the top 10 shortest people in history.
Meet the World’s Shortest Person: Discover the Record-Holding Heights
Who is the Shortest Man Alive Today?
As verified by Guinness World Records, the title of the shortest living man belongs to Afshin Ghaderzadeh from Iran. Born on July 13, 2002, Afshin measures just 2 feet 1.6 inches (65.24 cm) tall. At 22 years old, he currently holds the record as the shortest man alive.
Afshin is nearly 7 cm (2.7 inches) shorter than the previous record holder, Edward “Niño” Hernandez of Colombia, who is 36 years old. This makes Afshin the fourth-shortest man ever confirmed by Guinness World Records.
To ensure accuracy, Afshin traveled to the Guinness World Records office in Dubai, where his height was measured three times over a 24-hour period. This meticulous process confirmed his historic height and secured his place among the world’s shortest individuals.
Here are the Top 10 Verified Shortest People in History:
10. Lin Yu-chih (26.6 inches tall, 67.5 cm)
Lin Yu-chih, formerly recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s shortest man, is an author and social activist from Taipei, Taiwan. Lin lives with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that affects bone growth and prevents normal height development. He is also the founder of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Association, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals with the condition. In May 2008, Lin was featured in the British documentary The World’s Smallest and Me, where his story gained international attention.
9. Khagendra Thapa Magar (26 inches tall, 67cm)
Khagendra Thapa Magar, born on October 4, 1992, in Nepal’s Baglung District, was an actor lovingly referred to as “Little Buddha” by his community. Weighing just 6.5 kilograms, Khagendra earned the title of the world’s shortest man at the age of 18, surpassing Edward Niño Hernandez. However, on June 13, 2011, he lost the title to Junrey Balawing of the Philippines. Before this, Khagendra was also recognized as the world’s shortest teenager.
8. Istvan Toth (26 inches tall, 65 cm)
Istvan Toth, a Hungarian man, claimed the title of the world’s shortest man, standing at just 26 inches tall. Though his height was never officially verified by Guinness World Records before his passing in 2011 at the age of 48, he remains recognized as one of the shortest men in history.
7. Madge Bester (26 inches tall, 65 cm)
Ranked at number 7 is South African disability rights activist Madge Bester, born on April 26, 1963, and passing away on March 19, 2018, at the age of 54. She lived in a retirement village in Bloemfontein and had osteogenesis imperfecta, which confined her to a wheelchair. Her mother, Winnie, who also had the same condition, passed away in 2001 and stood just 70 cm tall.
6. Jyoti Kisange Amge (24.7 inches tall, 62.8 cm)
Born on December 16, 1993, Jyoti Kisange Amge is recognized by Guinness World Records as the “world’s smallest living woman.” She was officially crowned the title on her 18th birthday, measuring just 62.8 centimeters in height. Jyoti has achondroplasia, a genetic disorder affecting bone growth.
She has made numerous media appearances, including the 2009 documentary Body Shock, a guest spot on the Indian TV show Bigg Boss 6, and a role in the fourth season of American Horror Story, where she portrayed the character Ma Petite in 2014.
Beyond her media endeavors, Jyoti is also a cook, entrepreneur, and writer. She published a book titled Jain Monk Tarun Sagar’s Kadve Pravachan (Bitter Utterances) on August 18, 2013. This unique book measures 30 feet by 24 feet and weighs 2000 kilograms. One of her greatest aspirations is to win an Oscar.
5. Lucia Zarate (24 inches tall, 61cm)
Lucia Zarate was a Mexican entertainer born on January 2, 1864, in San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas, now known as Ursulo Galvan, Veracruz. She was the first person diagnosed with Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II, a rare condition that results in brain and skeletal abnormalities. At the age of 17, she earned recognition from Guinness World Records as the “lightest recorded adult,” weighing just 4.7 pounds. Lucia reached her full height by the time she was one year old. Her family home has since been transformed into a museum that is open to the public. She passed away in 1890 from hypothermia.
4. Pauline Musters (24 inches tall, 61cm)
Pauline Musters holds the Guinness World Record for being the shortest woman ever recorded. Born on February 26, 1876, in Ossendrecht, The Netherlands, she passed away on March 1, 1895, in New York City. At the time of her death, she measured precisely 61 cm (2 feet). Pauline succumbed to pneumonia and meningitis.
3. Junrey Balawing (23.6 inches tall, 59.9 cm)
At number 5 is Junrey Balawing, who holds the title of the shortest man alive. Born on June 12, 1993, in the Philippines, he was officially recognized as the “shortest man alive” on his 18th birthday, surpassing the previous record held by Nepal’s Khagendra Thapa Magar. Junrey stopped growing at the age of one.
2. Gul Mohammed (22.4 inches tall, 57cm)
Gul Mohammed was acknowledged as the shortest adult human during his lifetime, with his height independently verified between 1990 and 2011. Born on February 15, 1957, in New Delhi, India, he passed away on October 1, 1997, due to respiratory complications following a struggle with asthma and bronchitis. When measured at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, he stood at just 57 cm tall and weighed only 17 kg.
1. Chandra Bahadur Dangi (21.5 inches tall, 54.6cm)
First on our list is Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal. Born on November 30, 1939, he passed away on September 3, 2015, at the age of 75. Holding the title of the shortest man in recorded history, Chandra measured just 54.6 cm, surpassing the previous record set by Gul Mohammed. He was a primordial dwarf.
Chandra was discovered by a wood contractor in Nepal, which led to his rise to media fame. He was officially recognized as the shortest human ever recorded after his height was measured in 2012. Among his siblings, three of his five brothers are shorter than 4 feet, while his two sisters and two other brothers are of average height. Chandra worked as both a farmer and a craftsman.