World's Shortest Man Pingping Dies Aged 21
<!-- SHARE --> <script src="http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/connect.php/js/FB.Share" type="text/javascript"></script> <!-- end SHARE --> 8:08am Tuesday March 16, 2010
Huw Borland
The world's shortest man - who was just over 2ft 5in tall - has died aged 21, Guinness World Records has said.
<!-- VIDEO PLAYER START --> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://news.sky.com/sky-news/app/skynewsflash/js/swfobject.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> //CREATE PLAYLIST var playlist = new Object(); playlist.id = "Latest_Video"; playlist.defaultMediaId = 'item1_id'; playlist.items = new Array(); var contentObject = new Object(); contentObject.fileSize = ""; contentObject.type = "video/x-flv"; contentObject.medium = "video"; contentObject.url = "http://static1.sky.com//feeds/skynews/latest/flash/ACT-BB-TU-U5874-PINGPING-160310.flv"; contentObject.duration = "0:22"; var mediaObject = new Object(); mediaObject.title = "World's Shortest man Dies" mediaObject.description = "" mediaObject.playerUrl = "http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Pingping-Worlds-Shortest-man-Dies/Video/201003315574552?lpos=video_Article_Body_Copy_Region_0&lid=VIDEO_15574552_Pingping%2C_Worlds_Shortest_man_Dies"; mediaObject.thumbnail = "/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Sep/Week2/15378704.jpg"; mediaObject.content = contentObject; mediaObject.rating = "1"; var item1 = { title: 'World's Shortest man Dies', guid: '2220294', author: '', description: '', pubDate: 'Mar 16, 2010', enclosure: [], media: mediaObject } playlist.items.push(item1); var contentObject = new Object(); contentObject.fileSize = ""; contentObject.type = "video/x-flv"; contentObject.medium = "video"; contentObject.url = "http://static1.sky.com//feeds/skynews/latest/flash/ACT-BB-MO-SWORD-SWALLOW-080210.flv"; contentObject.duration = "0:39"; var mediaObject = new Object(); mediaObject.title = "Sword Swallower Sets New Record" mediaObject.description = "" mediaObject.playerUrl = "http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Sword-Swallower-Chayne-Hultgren-Swallows-18-Swords-In-One-Go-Setting-New-Guinness-World-Record/Video/201002215544529?lpos=video_Article_Body_Copy_Region_1&lid=VIDEO_15544529_Sword_Swallower%3A_Chayne_Hultgren_Swallows_18_Swords_In_One_Go_Setting_New_Guinness_World_Record"; mediaObject.thumbnail = "/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Feb/Week2/15544534.jpg"; mediaObject.content = contentObject; mediaObject.rating = "0"; var item2 = { title: 'Sword Swallower Sets New Record', guid: '2185651', author: '', description: '', pubDate: 'Feb 8, 2010', enclosure: [], media: mediaObject } playlist.items.push(item2); var contentObject = new Object(); contentObject.fileSize = ""; contentObject.type = "video/x-flv"; contentObject.medium = "video"; contentObject.url = "http://static1.sky.com//feeds/skynews/latest/flash/ACT-BB-FR-TALLEST-SHORTEST-MAN.flv"; contentObject.duration = "1:00"; var mediaObject = new Object(); mediaObject.title = "Record Holders: The Long And The Short Of It" mediaObject.description = "" mediaObject.playerUrl = "http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Worlds-Tallest-Man-Sultan-Kosen-Meets-Worlds-Shortest-Man-He-Pingping-In-Istanbul-Turkey/Video/201001315523569?lpos=video_Article_Body_Copy_Region_2&lid=VIDEO_15523569_Worlds_Tallest_Man_Sultan_Kosen_Meets_Worlds_Shortest_Man_He_Pingping_In_Istanbul_Turkey"; mediaObject.thumbnail = "/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jan/Week3/15523596.jpg"; mediaObject.content = contentObject; mediaObject.rating = "0"; var item3 = { title: 'Record Holders: The Long And The Short Of It', guid: '2163950', author: '', description: '', pubDate: 'Mar 16, 2010', enclosure: [], media: mediaObject } playlist.items.push(item3); // END CREATE PLAYLIST </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var flashvars = { settingsUrl: "/sky-news/app/skynewsflash/data/config.xml", auto_play: "false", unique_id: "15574406", attrib_url: "http://news.sky.com", ad_channel: "2169867", ad_alias: "pre_skynews_skynews_Home_Strange_News", tracking_account: "DM530320KARC", playerHeight: "225", playerWidth: "400", brandedPlayBtn: "false", channel_key: "News", embed_src: "http://news.sky.com/sky-news/app/skynewsflash/OBU_Player_30.swf", type: "ila", smoothing: "true" }; var params = { wmode : "transparent", allowfullscreen : "true" }; var attributes = { id: "obuPlayer", name: "obuPlayer" }; swfobject.embedSWF("/sky-news/app/skynewsflash/OBU_Player_30.swf", "flashcontent", "400", "225", "9.0.115", "../swf/expressInstall.swf", flashvars, params, attributes); function getFlashMovie() { if (navigator.appName.indexOf("Microsoft") != -1) { return window["obuPlayer"]; } else { return document["obuPlayer"]; } } function playerIsReady() { getFlashMovie()._loadPlaylist("", playlist); } </script> <object data="/sky-news/app/skynewsflash/OBU_Player_30.swf" name="obuPlayer" id="obuPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="225" width="400"></object>He Pingping was a native of China who had a form of primordial dwarfism and measured 74.61cm. The record-breaker had been in Rome to take part in a television show when he suffered chest problems. He was taken to hospital but died over the weekend.
He brightened up the lives of everyone he met, and was an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual. <cite>
Guinness World Records' Craig Glenday
</cite> Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of London-based Guinness World Records, recalled measuring He in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia in 2008. "For such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world," Mr Glenday said. "From the moment I laid on eyes on him, I knew he was someone special - he had such a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn't help but be charmed by him.
He Pingping and the world's tallest man Sultan Kösen (8ft 1in)
"He brightened up the lives of everyone he met, and was an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual." Guinness World Records said it would announce He's successor as the world's shortest man in due course. Khagendra Thapa Magar, 18, from Nepal, who is reportedly 51cms (20in) tall, declared in February that he is the rightful holder of the title.