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He Pingping
Born	July 13, 1988(1988-07-13) Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China
Died	March 13, 2010 (aged 21) Rome, Italy
Nationality	China
Known for	Being the World's shortest man

This is a Chinese name; the family name is He.

He Pingping (Chinese: 何平平; pinyin: Hé Píngpíng; July 13, 1988 – March 13, 2010^[1]) was, according to the Guinness World Records, the world's shortest man who was able to walk.^[2][3]

Early and personal life

He measured 73 cm (2 ft 5 in) tall,^[4] 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. According to his father, He Yun, at birth He Pingping was small enough to fit in the palm of his parents' hands. 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. His name "Pingping" means wine bottle.^[5] He was a chain smoker.^[6]

Recognition of size

In January 2007, He was invited to take part on a television program in Tokyo, Japan and became an internet icon. His home of Inner Mongolia is also home to Bao Xishun, who at 2.36 metres tall was recognized by Guinness as the world's tallest man until September 2009.^[7] Their televised meeting in July 2007 attracted global media attention.^[8][9][10] In May 2008 he appeared in the British Channel 4 documentary called The World's Smallest Man and Me hosted by Mark Dolan.^[11] 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.^[3]

In 2006 Guinness World Records disallowed an application from a then fourteen-year-old Nepalese boy, Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measures 53 cm but will review the case once he reaches 18 years of age October 2009. A Jordanian man who claims to be the world's shortest man, Younis Edwan, has not been officially measured by Guinness.

Following his January 2007 appearance on television, His status as the world's shortest walking man was verified by Guinness World Records.^[2] His height was measured three times over the course of 10 hours before he received a certificate officially naming him as the world’s shortest walking man.^[2]

In September 2008, He traveled to New York City to help launch the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, which certified him as the world's smallest walking man.^[2]

Death

He was admitted to a hospital on 13 March 2010 in Rome, Italy after complaining of chest pains. He had been filming The Record Show.^[12] He died on the same day of heart complications.^[13] The Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, Craig Glenday, said that he was "an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual".^[12]

See also

• List of shortest people

References