He Pingping

Pingping measured {{convert|74|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} tall, 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.{{cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0316/pingpingh.html |title=World's shortest man dies aged 21 |date=16 March 2010 |work=RTÉ News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731071535/http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0316/128809-pingpingh/ |archive-date=31 July 2013 |url-status=live}}

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 {{convert|2.36|m|ftin}} tall was recognized by Guinness as the world's tallest man until September 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.sys-con.com/node/1110129 |title=New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records |date=17 September 2009 |publisher=sys.con }}{{dead link|date=August 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=http://www.journalist-association.eu/archive/news.php?newsid=24136 |title=New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records |date=17 September 2009 |publisher=International Association of Journalists |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130803072611/http://www.journalist-association.eu/archive/news.php?newsid=24136 |archive-date=3 August 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=21 October 2016 }}{{cite web|url=http://pr.gaeatimes.com/new-tallest-man-in-the-world-is-announced-in-london-to-launch-the-2010-edition-of-guinness-world-recordstm-6156/ |title=New Tallest Man in the World is Announced in London to Launch the 2010 Edition of Guinness World Records |date=16 September 2009 |work=The Gaea Times |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130803072611/http://pr.gaeatimes.com/new-tallest-man-in-the-world-is-announced-in-london-to-launch-the-2010-edition-of-guinness-world-recordstm-6156/ |archive-date=3 August 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=21 October 2016 }} Their televised meeting in July 2007 attracted global media attention.{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289298,00.html |title=World's Tallest Man Meets World's Smallest Man |publisher=Fox News |date=14 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070420195201/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C289298%2C00.html |archive-date=20 April 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all |access-date=24 November 2008 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.wherelightmeetsdark.com/index.php?NW_id=321&NW_user_op=view&module=newswatch |title=World's tallest man and smallest man, quite possibly |date=15 July 2007 |publisher=Where Light Meets Dark |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624235649/http://www.wherelightmeetsdark.com/index.php?module=newswatch&NW_user_op=view&NW_id=321 |archive-date=24 June 2007 |url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22071138-2,00.html |title=World's tallest man meets world's smallest man |publisher=News Limited Australia |date=13 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715122455/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C22071138-2%2C00.html |archive-date=15 July 2007 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/T/the_worlds_and_me/smallest/index.html |title=Programme Two: The World's Smallest Man and Me |publisher=Channel 4 |date=12 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624064058/http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/T/the_worlds_and_me/smallest/index.html |archive-date=24 June 2008 |url-status=live}} 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.

In 2006, Guinness World Records disallowed an application from a then fourteen-year-old Nepalese boy, Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measured {{convert|53|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}, but reviewed the case once he reached 18 years of age in October 2010, when he was measured at {{convert|67|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/2/worlds-shortest-man-from-junrey-balawing-to-khagendra-thapa-magar-past-holders-of-the-title |title=World's shortest man: From Junrey Balawing to Khagendra Thapa Magar - past holders of the title |date=26 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228215618/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/2/worlds-shortest-man-from-junrey-balawing-to-khagendra-thapa-magar-past-holders-of-the-title |archive-date=28 February 2012 |url-status=live }} 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.

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.

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.

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hdy9KXAZ7RHEyflgIFwx1_nrcNTAD9EFN9C80 |title=World's shortest man, He Pingping, dies in Italy |date=16 March 2010 |work=AFP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322194507/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hdy9KXAZ7RHEyflgIFwx1_nrcNTAD9EFN9C80 |archive-date=22 March 2010 |url-status=dead }} Pingping died 10 days later on 13 March 2010 of heart complications; he was only 21 years old.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7450343/Worlds-shortest-man-dies-aged-21.html |title=World's shortest man dies aged 21 |publisher=The Telegraph (UK) |location=London |date=15 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317143351/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7450343/Worlds-shortest-man-dies-aged-21.html |archive-date=17 March 2010 |url-status=live}} The Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, Craig Glenday, said that Pingping was "an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual."

• List of shortest people
• Edward Niño Hernández – a Colombian man who was named the world's shortest mobile man after Pingping's death

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Category:1988 births

Category:2010 deaths

Category:People from Ulanqab

Category:People with dwarfism

Category:20th-century Chinese people

Category:21st-century Chinese people

Category:Chinese people with disabilities