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The Shortest Man In The World Has Passed Away

A tribute for a world record holder who has reached great heights during his lifetime


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The world’s shortest man, Khagendra Thapa Magar recently passed away at the age of 27 on January 17, 2020, after battling with pneumonia. Born in 1992 in Nepal’s Baglung district with primordial dwarfism, Magar grew to a height of 67.08cm, holding the record as the shortest man in the world until his death. According to Magar’s father, he was so tiny that he could fit in the palm of a hand. Magar was first spotted at the age of 14 by a travelling salesman who took him to local fairs, where children paid to take photos with him.


After gaining the Guinness World Record (GWR) title on his 18th birthday in 2010, Magar became an official face of Nepal’s tourism campaign and had the opportunity to travel the world and even made television appearances in Europe and the United States. As a comparison, Magar’s height was half of the global average height, 171cm for men, making him almost a quarter the size of Sultan Kösen, the tallest man in the world who stands at 251cm.


Despite his height, Magar doesn’t consider himself to be a small man but a big man because he wants to provide for his family through his achievements. At the announcement of this tragic news, GWR paid tribute to Magar stating that he didn’t allow his small size to stop him from getting the most out of life. Upon Magar’s death, the record for the shortest living mobile man is now held by Edward Hernandez of Colombia, who measures at 70.21cm.


Khagendra Thapa Magar: World’s shortest mobile man dies aged 27