According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the shortest person in the world was Gul Mohammed, hailing from New Delhi, India. At 1 ft 10 inches in height, he was less than a meter to be precise. Gul Mohammed got all the fame in the world for being the shortest man, but there were some people who were short in height, but became famous for their sheer talent, achievements and illustriousness. Although they were not as short as Gul Mohammed, they can be referred to as short if the average height of the people on this planet is taken into consideration.
How Short is Short?
Before we move on to the famous short people in history, let's try to understand what we mean by short. It may sound funny, but there is outright disagreement about what height can be referred to as short. The height of an individual may vary according to the region as well as ethnicity. The term shortness is a vague term, which doesn't have a concrete reason to support it.
A pygmy from the Congo Basin may appear to be short for the whole world, but when a person 6 ft tall sees someone 5 ft tall, he is bound to refer to the later as a short person. Basically, the term short stature is used to refer to a person whose height is below expected. Generally, the individuals with height less than 4 feet 10 inches are the people suffering from a genetic disorder referred to as dwarfism.
Famous Short People in the World
The average height for a man in the United States is 5 ft 9.2 inches, and therefore while compiling a list of famous short people in the world, we have taken a benchmark of 5 ft 5 inches, which is considerably short when equated for the whole world. Here are some of the most famous short people in the world, who are remembered even today for their talent and achievements, and not their height.
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was the founder emperor of one of the largest empire in the history - the Mongol empire. Although he was just 5 ft 1 inches, he was one of the best commanders and the most ferocious warrior the world ever saw. The strategy of uniting the various nomadic tribes worked in favor of Genghis Khan, as the Mongol empire spread over the vast parts of Central Asia and China under his regime. Read more on Genghis Khan.
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat was a Palestinian leader and the chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Standing 5 ft 2 inches tall, Yasser Arafat was regarded as a freedom fighter by many Palestinians. But at the same time many looked upon him as a terrorist. He spent his entire life for Palestinian self determination, till he died on November 11, 2004, at the age of 75. Read more on Yasser Arafat.
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut, who went on to become the first person to travel in space, as well as the first person to orbit the Earth. He was just 5 ft 2 inches tall. For this heroic feat which didn't just help the Soviet Union, but also helped the entire human race, Yuri was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest distinction in the Soviet.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi, known as the Father of the Nation in India, was one of the most prominent personalities the world ever saw. He played a vital role in gaining India independence from the British rule spanning over a century. Mahatma Gandhi advocated non-violence throughout his life. Although just 5 ft 3 inches tall, his high stature in the society was witnessed by means of several agitations he lead, not just in pre-independence India, but also in nations like South Africa. Read more on Mahatma Gandhi.
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, more popular as Voltaire, was a French writer philosopher renowned for his witty writing. At 5 ft 3 inches, Voltaire was one among the several famous short people in history. He was an ardent advocate of civil liberties, and most of his literary works had a hint of the same. An ardent supporter of social reforms, Voltaire turned out to be influential for many thinkers involved in the American and the French revolution. Read more on Voltaire.
Pablo Picasso
Although just 5 ft 4 inches tall, Pablo Picasso was known to work wonders with his paint brush. This Spanish painter and sculptor has some of the best works of the 20th century to his credit. Picasso's creativity was not just restricted to the canvas, some of his famous works also include sculptures and architectures. His aesthetic skills played a vital role in finding Picasso a place among the most famous short people in the world. Read more on famous painters and Pablo Picasso.
James Madison
James Madison was the 4th President of the United States, who held the office from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1817. Standing at 5 ft 4 inches, Madison worked closely with George Washington in order to organize the Federal Government. He was regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Some of his greatest achievements included supervising the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812, against Great Britain. Read more on facts about James Madison.
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin was a leader of the Bolsheviks party, who acted as the first Head of State of the Soviet Union. He was 5 ft 5 inches tall. Lenin played a vital role in propagation of Leninism, which is believed to be an adaptation of Marxism for the age of imperialism. One of the most famous revolutionary of his times, Lenin hit the headlines for both good as well as bad reasons.
Charlie Chaplin
There would be hardly any person in this world who is not familiar with the name Charlie Chaplin, but at the same time not many people knew he was just 5 ft 5 inches in height. Charlie Chaplin was an English comedian, actor and film director, who ruled the silver screen in the first half of the 20th century. His sense of humor and slapstick comedy made him a cult figure, who is revered by millions of people around the world even today. More on Charlie Chaplin.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona was an Argentine soccer player, who always stayed in limelight for his on-field as well as off-field antics. The 5 ft 5 inches tall footballer ruled the hearts of the people the world over with his immense passion for the game. His popularity reached all time high for the in-famous 'Hand of God Goal', which he scored by putting the ball into nets using his hand. More on Diego Maradona.
These were some of the famous short people in history, who carved a niche for themselves and made sure that their presence was felt. The height of these famous short people was never an issue for them. They proved that being short is not at all a disadvantage, and if you want you can achieve anything in this world on the basis of your sheer determination and will power.
How Short is Short?
Before we move on to the famous short people in history, let's try to understand what we mean by short. It may sound funny, but there is outright disagreement about what height can be referred to as short. The height of an individual may vary according to the region as well as ethnicity. The term shortness is a vague term, which doesn't have a concrete reason to support it.
A pygmy from the Congo Basin may appear to be short for the whole world, but when a person 6 ft tall sees someone 5 ft tall, he is bound to refer to the later as a short person. Basically, the term short stature is used to refer to a person whose height is below expected. Generally, the individuals with height less than 4 feet 10 inches are the people suffering from a genetic disorder referred to as dwarfism.
Famous Short People in the World
The average height for a man in the United States is 5 ft 9.2 inches, and therefore while compiling a list of famous short people in the world, we have taken a benchmark of 5 ft 5 inches, which is considerably short when equated for the whole world. Here are some of the most famous short people in the world, who are remembered even today for their talent and achievements, and not their height.
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was the founder emperor of one of the largest empire in the history - the Mongol empire. Although he was just 5 ft 1 inches, he was one of the best commanders and the most ferocious warrior the world ever saw. The strategy of uniting the various nomadic tribes worked in favor of Genghis Khan, as the Mongol empire spread over the vast parts of Central Asia and China under his regime. Read more on Genghis Khan.
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat was a Palestinian leader and the chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Standing 5 ft 2 inches tall, Yasser Arafat was regarded as a freedom fighter by many Palestinians. But at the same time many looked upon him as a terrorist. He spent his entire life for Palestinian self determination, till he died on November 11, 2004, at the age of 75. Read more on Yasser Arafat.
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut, who went on to become the first person to travel in space, as well as the first person to orbit the Earth. He was just 5 ft 2 inches tall. For this heroic feat which didn't just help the Soviet Union, but also helped the entire human race, Yuri was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest distinction in the Soviet.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi, known as the Father of the Nation in India, was one of the most prominent personalities the world ever saw. He played a vital role in gaining India independence from the British rule spanning over a century. Mahatma Gandhi advocated non-violence throughout his life. Although just 5 ft 3 inches tall, his high stature in the society was witnessed by means of several agitations he lead, not just in pre-independence India, but also in nations like South Africa. Read more on Mahatma Gandhi.
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, more popular as Voltaire, was a French writer philosopher renowned for his witty writing. At 5 ft 3 inches, Voltaire was one among the several famous short people in history. He was an ardent advocate of civil liberties, and most of his literary works had a hint of the same. An ardent supporter of social reforms, Voltaire turned out to be influential for many thinkers involved in the American and the French revolution. Read more on Voltaire.
Pablo Picasso
Although just 5 ft 4 inches tall, Pablo Picasso was known to work wonders with his paint brush. This Spanish painter and sculptor has some of the best works of the 20th century to his credit. Picasso's creativity was not just restricted to the canvas, some of his famous works also include sculptures and architectures. His aesthetic skills played a vital role in finding Picasso a place among the most famous short people in the world. Read more on famous painters and Pablo Picasso.
James Madison
James Madison was the 4th President of the United States, who held the office from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1817. Standing at 5 ft 4 inches, Madison worked closely with George Washington in order to organize the Federal Government. He was regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Some of his greatest achievements included supervising the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812, against Great Britain. Read more on facts about James Madison.
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin was a leader of the Bolsheviks party, who acted as the first Head of State of the Soviet Union. He was 5 ft 5 inches tall. Lenin played a vital role in propagation of Leninism, which is believed to be an adaptation of Marxism for the age of imperialism. One of the most famous revolutionary of his times, Lenin hit the headlines for both good as well as bad reasons.
Charlie Chaplin
There would be hardly any person in this world who is not familiar with the name Charlie Chaplin, but at the same time not many people knew he was just 5 ft 5 inches in height. Charlie Chaplin was an English comedian, actor and film director, who ruled the silver screen in the first half of the 20th century. His sense of humor and slapstick comedy made him a cult figure, who is revered by millions of people around the world even today. More on Charlie Chaplin.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona was an Argentine soccer player, who always stayed in limelight for his on-field as well as off-field antics. The 5 ft 5 inches tall footballer ruled the hearts of the people the world over with his immense passion for the game. His popularity reached all time high for the in-famous 'Hand of God Goal', which he scored by putting the ball into nets using his hand. More on Diego Maradona.
These were some of the famous short people in history, who carved a niche for themselves and made sure that their presence was felt. The height of these famous short people was never an issue for them. They proved that being short is not at all a disadvantage, and if you want you can achieve anything in this world on the basis of your sheer determination and will power.
No comments:
Post a Comment