From experiencing discrimination to being underestimated,
vertically-challenged people face a lot of adversities. But as it turns out,
it's the smallest ones who can make the biggest waves with their robust spirits
and larger-than-life personalities! We're sizing up the 10 Smallest People in the World!
What's up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse, serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous,
outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Stick around because our number 1 entry boasted of tremendous talent, despite her tiny frame!
Let's get down to it.
#10 He Pingping
Don't all parents wish their babies wouldn't grow too fast?
In the case of He Pingpin's parents, their son just stopped growing altogether!
When he was born in 1988, Pingping weighed only 500 grams and fit firmly in his parents' palms!
That's almost as tiny as Tom Thumb, and he's not even real!
Doctors diagnosed Pingping with osteogenesis imperfecta, which stunted the growth of his bones.
Despite this, the little bundle of joy would go on and touch the hearts of people everywhere.
In 2008, the Guinness World Records verified Pingping as the world's shortest man,
with his height measuring 2 feet, 5 inches. He went on world tours with Svetlana Pankratova,
the woman with the longest legs in the world. Looks like someone got lucky! Hehe.
Though lacking in height, his charming and outgoing personality more than made up for it.
Unfortunately, Pingping passed away in March 2010 due to a heart attack.
If you found Pingping's story inspiring,
our number one pick will make you second guess your life choices.
But before that...
#9 Bridgette Jordan
Imagine you're a twenty-something woman, and you go to the mall to buy shoes, but
instead of the adult section, you go shopping in the kid's corner!
Such was the predicament of Bridgette Jordan. Standing at 2 feet, 3 inches,
Bridgette was the former smallest living woman, before her title was snatched away by Jyoti Amge
in 2011. However, she and her brother Brad retained the Guinness World Record
for the world's shortest siblings! I guess being extraordinary runs in the family!
The Jordan siblings--whose similarities with a certain towering basketball legend
ends with their last name--both suffered from Majewski osteodysplastic primordial
dwarfism type II. Wow, that's a mouthful. But in layman's terms,
it's a rare type of dwarfism that causes brain and skeletal abnormalities.
The siblings gained a fair amount of popularity when they starred in
a reality show called "Big Tiny," which showed how the Jordans got by with doing
everyday activities that normal-sized people usually take for granted.
Sadly, Bridgette passed away in 2019 at the age of 30,
while Brad died two years earlier at the age of 25. I think it's high time for a "Big Tiny" rerun.
#8 Khagendra Thapa Magar
Nepal may be home to the world's tallest mountain,
Mt. Everest. But it's also home to one of the world's smallest men!
Standing at just 2 feet, 2 inches, Khagendra was once declared the smallest man in the world by
Guinness in two categories; mobile and non-mobile. However, he eventually lost the non-mobile record
to Junrey Balawing of the Philippines. Just how many categories of smallest people does
Guinness have?
The pride of Nepal had primordial dwarfism. But despite his condition,
Khagendra was still able to help his family sell fruits and perform in a dance troupe.
Since his official recognition, Khagendra became the toast of his hometown, making him
their goodwill ambassador for tourism. He later died at the ripe age of 27 due to pneumonia.
#7: Junrey Balawing
Our next little person was the guy who took the title of the world's shortest non-mobile man
from Khagendra! But don't hold it against him. After all, there's plenty of records to go around!
Hailing from the Philippines, Junrey Balawing was born on June 12, 1993. Incidentally,
the day he broke free from his mother's womb was also the country's Independence Day!
Junrey stopped growing when he was just a year old, with his height peaking at a minuscule 1
foot and 1 inch. Doctors suspected that Junrey suffered from a malfunctioning pituitary gland.
And because he couldn't walk, he needed constant care and supervision.
In 2015, Junrey was also declared the world's shortest man alive but
forfeited the title to Chandra Bahadur Dangi [SHAN-dra ba-ha-DUR DANG-gi] just a year later.
Boy, these titles get knocked off pretty quickly.
Sadly--you know what's coming next--Junrey passed
away on July 2020 due to unknown causes because days before he died,
his family didn't bring him to the hospital for fear of COVID.
Ugh. This pandemic really sucks.
#6: Edward Niño Hernandez
Edward Niño Hernandez might as well be called the comeback king of the Guinness World Records.
Being 2 feet and 3.6 inches tall, Edward was first recognized as the shortest living man in 2010,
until Nepal's Khagendra broke his record.
Upon Khagendra’s death, Edward regained the title of the shortest mobile man!
Guinness re-bestowed Niño's title in time for his 34th birthday in Bogota, Colombia.
Edward stopped growing at the age of 2 due to an undiagnosed condition, although the best
theory for his short height is his hypothyroidism. He also has cataracts in both eyes and therefore
isn't able to read. But apart from that, he lives a regular life--dancing reggaetón,
merengue and vallenato music in his spare time. Damn, he must be popular with the ladies!
Unfortunately... no just kidding. He's still alive! Yey!
#5 Chandra Bahadur Dangi
This miniature Nepali was named the shortest man in recorded history by
the Guinness Book of World Records, measuring 1 foot and 9.5 inches.
However, the reason behind his small stature was undiagnosed. His record-breaking height
remained in the dark until a timber merchant discovered him and thought,
"Whoa, could I possibly be in the presence of the world's shortest man?"
He probably didn't say it like that, but he did suggest Chandra to go see Guinness.
Apart from his size, another thing that's remarkable about Chandra
was how long he lived--because if you've been paying attention,
you'd notice how the world's smallest people don't usually survive for a long time.
He lived until the ripe old age of 75 years old,
with his death possibly connected to his previous bouts with pneumonia.
#4 Madge Bester
After Madonna, this South African lady was probably the world's most famous "Madge."
At 2 feet, 1.5 inches, Madge Bester formerly stood as the world's shortest living woman.
And did you know that she was the first woman from Africa to achieve the honor?
Madge suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition resulting in brittle bones.
Her mother, only a few centimeters taller than Madge, also had the same affliction.
Because of her frail body, Madge had to use a wheelchair, but that didn't mean she was helpless.
Madge was an active campaigner for the rights of disabled people--or as we like to call them;
"handicapable." She spoke at press conferences accompanied by Lin Yü-Chih,
the world's smallest man at the time.
She died in 2011 at the age of 54. But she will forever be remembered for her famous line,
"Forget your disabilities and use your abilities."
#3 Stacey Herald
This next little lady was not only the smallest
mother in the world; she was probably the most admirable too!
Like our number four entry Madge Bester, Stacey Herald suffered from Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Her condition left her with a short height of 2 feet, 4 inches, making Stacey the world's smallest
momma! Perhaps you're wondering why there's even such a record. You see,
getting pregnant can be dangerous for little women. In fact,
doctors told Stacey that pregnancy could kill her! But Stacey's maternal instinct overcame
all medical odds, and she gave birth to three children in just a span of three years!
Stacey had a special platform built that she used to bathe her children and change their diapers.
Fortunately, Stacey’s husband Wil was more than willing to take over when needed, like dealing
with the tantrums of their eldest daughter, who was already taller than Stacey at 2 years old.
Sadly, the mother-of-three died in September 2018, at the age of 44. Now I miss my own mother!
"Mom, I'm coming over for dinner!"
#2 Jyoti Amge Don't mess with
this little lass because she's accomplished far more than you'll ever do in your entire life!
She has acted alongside Hollywood A-listers Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson,
and Evan Peters! But it's only the beginning of bigger things ahead for 26-year-old Jyoti Amge.
She is currently the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest living woman in the world,
standing at 2 feet and 1 inch, and weighing 11 pounds. Jyoti has a rare form of dwarfism called
Achondroplasia, making it impossible to get adult clothes her size. In fact,
her clothes, jewelry, all the way to her bed and furniture were all customized for her!
She might not be able to carry a lot of things but she does carry herself with
loads of self-confidence. Look at her serving fierce poses with then world's shortest man,
Chandra Bahadur Dangi! She evens tarred in her own reality show on TLC!
This petite girl is on fire!
#1: Pauline Musters
Now let's go back in time and revisit the life of
the smallest mature woman ever recorded in history.
Born on February 26, 1876, Pauline Musters only measured 12 inches straight out of her
mom's womb. Her growth spurt--or lack thereof--stopped at 1 foot 11 inches.
But the pint-sized Dutch proved to be a natural performer,
the dancer-slash-acrobat took on stage names like "Lady Dot," and most notably, "Princess Pauline."
She became an international sensation--touring Belgium, New York,
France, the U.K., and Germany. However, her superstardom was cut short when the
Princess died of pneumonia and meningitis at a young age of 19.
So, who among these little wonders did you find the most
intriguing? Give them a shoutout in the comments section below!
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Wanna meet more fascinating people? Then,
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‘Til then, stay larger-than-life fact-natics! And see you in our next video.