world's shortest man dies

Sad news... He Pingping, who held the Guinness World Records' distinction of being the world's shortest man at 74.6cm (2 feet 5 inches), has died in Rome. He was 21: The world's shortest man, He Pingping, dies aged 21.

According to Guinness, He was born in 1988 in Wulanchabu, China, with a form of primordial dwarfism, and was officially measured and recognised as the world's shortest man in 2008. (Coincidentally, the world's tallest man is also Chinese.)

He was in Rome to take part in the filming of a television program called The Record Show. According to the TV production company Europroduzione, he had already filmed two episodes of the show when he complained of feeling unwell during a rehearsal.

He was admitted to the hospital, and after two days, he was transferred to intensive care, where he was found to have a heart condition and high cholesterol. He died on Saturday. More here: World's Shortest Man, He Pingping, Dies in Italy.