Gabriel Estêvão Monjane (1944 – 1990) is one of only seventeen individuals in medical history to have reached eight feet or more in height.
Born in Manjacaze, Gaza Province, Mozambique, Monjane’s abnormal growth, attributed to an overactive pituitary gland, started soon after birth. By the time he was 17, Monjane stood 7 feet 10 inches. He joined a Portuguese circus. When measured officially in 1987, Monjane was 8 feet and three quarters of an inch. He also weighed 348 pounds.
During his lifetime, especially late into his life, Monjane suffered leg problems. The Guinness Book of World Records stated that he was the tallest living man in their 1988 edition. Monjane died in January 1990 after a fall at his home, after which Suleiman Ali Nashnush, another African, was named the tallest living man.