A fascinating post over at The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice on Adam Rainer, the only man in history to be classified as both a dwarf as well as a giant:
Adam Rainer was born in Graz, Austria to average-sized parents in 1899. When WW1 broke out, Rainer tried to enlist in the army, but at 4’6.3’’ inches tall, he was deemed too short and weak. A year later, Rainer tried again, and although he had grown a full 2 inches, the army rejected him once more on the basis of his height. Standing 4’8.3’’ inches tall at the age of 19, Rainer was considered a dwarf, being nearly 2 inches below the cut-off (4’10’’).
…At the age of 21, all this changed. Rainer suddenly began growing at an alarming pace. Over the next decade, he grew from just under 4’10’’ to a shocking 7’1″. He died, aged 51, measuring 7’8″ – though some newspapers reported his height as 7’10”.
Link: World’s Littlest Giant: The Curious Case of Adam Rainer
