He Pingping

He Pingping (Chinese: 何平平; pinyin: Hé Píngpíng; 13 July 1988 – 13 March 2010[2]) was a Chinese man who, according to the Guinness World Records, was the world's shortest mobile man from 2007 until his death in March 2010.[3][4]

In this Chinese name, the family name is He.

He Pingping
He Pingping (1988–2010)
Born(1988-07-13)13 July 1988
Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China
Died13 March 2010(2010-03-13) (aged 21)
Rome, Lazio, Italy
NationalityChinese
Height74 cm (2 ft 5 in)[1]

Early and personal life

Pingping measured 74 cm (2 ft 5 in) tall,[1] and was the third child of a family in Huade county, in the city of Ulanqab in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. He had two sisters, both of whom developed at normal rates. At birth Pingping was small enough to fit in the palm of his parents' hands according to his father, He Yun. When it became apparent the child was growing very slowly, doctors diagnosed the cause as the bone deformity osteogenesis imperfecta, which hinders normal bone growth and body height. Pingping was a chain smoker.[5]

Recognition of size

In January 2007, Pingping was invited to take part on a television program in Tokyo, Japan. His home of Inner Mongolia is also home to Bao Xishun, who at 2.36 metres (7 ft 9 in) tall was recognized by Guinness as the world's tallest man until September 2009.[6][7][8] Their televised meeting in July 2007 attracted global media attention.[9][10][11] In May 2008, Pingping appeared in the British Channel 4 documentary called The World's Smallest Man and Me hosted by Mark Dolan. In the episode, Pingping and his family spent time with Dolan who stayed over to celebrate Chinese New Year.[1] In September 2008, he appeared with the world's longest-legged woman, Svetlana Pankratova, in London's Trafalgar Square, to publicize the release of the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.[4]

In 2006, Guinness World Records disallowed an application from a then fourteen-year-old Nepalese boy, Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measured 53 cm (1 ft 9 in), but reviewed the case once he reached 18 years of age in October 2010, when he was measured at 67 cm (2 ft 2 in).

Following Pingping's January 2007 appearance on television, his status as the world's shortest man was verified by Guinness World Records the following year.[3][12] His height was measured thrice over the course of 10 hours before Pingping received a certificate officially naming him as the world’s shortest man.[3][12]

In September 2007, Pingping travelled to the U.S. to help launch the 2008 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records in New York City, which certified him as the world's smallest man.[3][12]

On 25 April 2010, Pingping was featured in the tenth episode of the 16th season of the American reality show The Amazing Race, filmed earlier in Shanghai. The episode was dedicated in his memory.

Death

Pingping was admitted to a hospital on 3 March 2010 in Rome, after complaining of chest pains. He had been filming Lo show dei record.[13] Pingping died 10 days later on 13 March 2010 of heart complications; he was only 21 years old.[14] The Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, Craig Glenday, said that Pingping was "an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual."[13]

See also

References
  1. "Programme Two: The World's Smallest Man and Me". Channel 4. 12 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008.
  2. "He Pingping, the world's shortest man, dies aged 21". BBC News. 15 March 2010. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010.
  3. Connor, Tracy (19 September 2008). "World's shortest man, He Pingping, makes trip to New York City". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008.
  4. Zuckerbrod, Nancy (16 September 2008). "World's shortest man, leggiest woman meet". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008.
  5. "World's shortest man dies aged 21". RTÉ News. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013.
  6. "New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records". sys.con. 17 September 2009.
  7. "New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records". International Association of Journalists. 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  8. "New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records". The Gaea Times. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  9. "World's Tallest Man Meets World's Smallest Man". Fox News. 14 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 April 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  10. "World's tallest man and smallest man, quite possibly". Where Light Meets Dark. 15 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007.
  11. "World's tallest man meets world's smallest man". News Limited Australia. 13 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007.
  12. "World's shortest man: From Junrey Balawing to Khagendra Thapa Magar - past holders of the title". 26 February 2012. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012.
  13. "World's shortest man, He Pingping, dies in Italy". AFP. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010.
  14. "World's shortest man dies aged 21". London: The Telegraph (UK). 15 March 2010. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010.
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