World’s shortest man who measured 2ft 2ins but ‘didn’t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life’ dies aged 27
- Khagendra Thapa Magar, 27, died from pneumonia at a hospital in Nepal today
- Measuring 2ft 2.41ins, Mr Magar was the world’s shortest man who could walk
- He lived with his parents in Kathmandu and travelled to over a dozen countries
- He was first named the world’s shortest man by Guinness World Records in 2010
The world’s shortest man who measured 2ft 2.14ins but ‘didn’t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life’ died today aged 27 in a hospital in Nepal, his family said.
Khagendra Thapa Magar, verified by Guinness World Records as the shortest man who could walk, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Pokhara, 200 kilometres from Kathmandu, where he lived with his parents.
Mahesh Thapa Magar, his brother, said: ‘He has been in and out of hospital because of pneumonia. But this time his heart was also affected. He passed away today.’
Khagendra Thapa Magar (pictured), 27, who measured 2ft 2.41ins, died on Friday at a hospital in Nepal, his family said. He was the world’s shortest man who could walk
Mr Magar poses for a picture with Miss Nepal Sadichha Shrestha (left centre) and the two runners-up in 2010 back in 2010. He was verified as the world’s shortest mobile man (right)
Mr Magar was first declared the world’s shortest man in 2010 after his 18th birthday, photographed holding a certificate only a bit smaller than him.
However he eventually lost the title after Nepal’s Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who measured 54.6 centimetres, was discovered and named the world’s shortest mobile man.
Mr Magar regained the title after Dangi’s death in 2015.
According to Guinness World Records his father, Roop Bahadur, said: ‘He was so tiny when he was born that he could fit in the palm of your hand, and it was very hard to bathe him because he was so small.’
As the world’s shortest man the 27-year-old travelled to more than a dozen countries and made television appearances in Europe and the United States.
Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, said: ‘We’re terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us.
Mr Magar sits on the tank of his younger brother Maheshl Thapa Magar’s bike in front of their house in Pokhara, around 200km west of Kathmandu, in December 2018
Khagendra Thapa Magar poses with his father Rup Bahadur and mother Dhana Maya while holding his Guiness World Records certificate at their home in Pokhara in October 2010
Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, said: ‘We’re terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us.
‘Life can be challenging when you weigh just 6 kilograms and you don’t fit into a world built for the average person. But Khagendra certainly didn’t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life.’
Mr Magar became an official face of Nepal’s tourism campaign, which featured him as the smallest man in a country that is home to the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
Mr Magar stood in the compound of his home on the eve of his eighteenth birthday in Pokhara in October 2010. He travelled to more than a dozen countries and made TV appearances
Mr Magar, accompanied by his mother and father, waves to the media before leaving for Europe in Kathmandu back in February 2010. He became the face of Nepal’s tourism campaign
During his stint he met other short people around the world, including the shortest woman, Jyoti Amge, from India.
In a video released by Guinness World Records, Mr Magar is seen playing a guitar with his brother, riding a bike and sitting at his family’s shop.
The world’s shortest non-mobile man remains Junrey Balawing of the Philippines, who measures only 1.96ft tall but is unable to walk or stand unaided, according to Guinness World Records.
The record for shortest living mobile man is now retained by Edward ‘Nino’ Hernandez of Colombia, a reggaeton DJ who stands at 2.3ft tall, Guinness World Records said.