20 Historical Figures You Didn’t Know Were Very Short

The myth that Napoleon was short is one of the most persistent myths in history, but he was actually about 1.68 m tall, which was quite average for a Frenchman of his time. The confusion stems largely from a mix-up between French and English units of measurement, as French “inches” were longer than English inches, making his actual height appear shorter than it really was. British wartime propaganda also had a field day portraying him as a short, hot-tempered man, and this image has remained etched in people’s minds for centuries.

Queen Victoria ruled over a vast global empire, but she stood only 1.52 m tall—or even 1.50 m, according to some sources. Her small stature became even more noticeable as she grew older and her figure became rounder. Visiting dignitaries often described her as being much smaller in person than they had imagined. Despite her petite frame, she was known for being extremely assertive, and it was said that she had a direct, unwavering gaze that made even her most senior ministers feel uncomfortable.

James Madison holds the record for being the shortest U.S. president, standing only 1.63 m tall and weighing about 45 kg at his lightest. Despite his small stature, he was the principal architect of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, making him one of the most influential political thinkers in U.S. history. His fellow Founding Fathers apparently had to lean in to hear him speak, as his voice was naturally soft and did not carry well in large rooms.

Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961, and his height of just 1.57 m was actually one of the reasons he was selected for this mission. The early Soviet spacecraft were incredibly cramped, and engineers needed a pilot who could fit comfortably into the narrow capsule without any modifications. His small stature turned out to be one of his greatest professional assets—something one wouldn’t expect to say about a person of short stature.

Pablo Picasso was about 1.63 m tall, which often surprised people meeting him for the first time, given the scope and ambition of his work. His friends and contemporaries described him as an extremely energetic and self-assured person, whose confidence made him the undisputed center of attention in all social circles. Those who knew him well often noted that it was impossible to walk away from a conversation with Picasso without remembering it.

Mahatma Gandhi was about 1.65 m tall and weighed very little for most of his adult life due to his strict dietary habits and frequent fasts, which he practiced as a form of political protest. He led one of the most successful nonviolent independence movements in history, ultimately helping to liberate India from British colonial rule in 1947. It is quite impressive to think that a man of such a slight build had such a significant impact on the political landscape of the 20th century.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was one of the shortest figures in art history, standing only about 1.50 m as an adult. His stunted growth was due to a rare genetic disorder that prevented his legs from developing after he fractured both of them as a teenager. He channeled much of this difficult personal experience into his work and became one of the most famous Post-Impressionist painters of the 19th century.

Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union through fear and repression for nearly three decades, stood only 1.63 m or 1.65 m tall, depending on the source. He is said to have been very self-conscious about his height and wore specially designed boots with thick heels to appear taller in official photographs and during public appearances. Soviet censors were also known to retouch official photos to make him appear more physically imposing, which gives a pretty clear idea of how much importance he attached to his stature.

T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, stood only 1.65 m tall and was often described by those who met him as surprisingly frail. He led the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I, a campaign that demanded extraordinary physical endurance in one of the most hostile deserts on the planet. Those who served alongside him never doubted his tenacity or determination, even though his physical appearance did not exactly match the heroic image that his legend had forged in his homeland.

Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader who stood up to the United States during some of the most tense moments of the Cold War, was about 1.60 m tall. He was a burly, boisterous man who never let his height get in the way of his desire to make a splash on the international stage. You may recall his famous incident in which he pounded his fist on the table at the UN in 1960—not exactly the behavior of someone trying to blend into the background.

Admiral Horatio Nelson, one of Britain’s most revered military figures, was about 1.68 m tall. He commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet during the fighting, dying before he learned that his forces had won the victory. His height did not seem to affect the opinion his sailors and fellow officers had of him; admiration and loyalty toward Nelson were virtually universal within the Royal Navy.

Harry Houdini, the legendary magician and escape artist, stood only 1.65 m tall and had a compact, muscular build that he had spent years developing through rigorous physical training. His relatively small stature actually worked to his advantage during several of his most famous escapes, as he could contort and squeeze his body into tight spaces where a larger performer simply could not have fit. Throughout his career, Houdini was keenly aware of his physical limitations and always found a way to turn them into strengths.

The Romantic poet John Keats was apparently between 1.52 m and 1.55 m tall, which made him particularly short, even by early 19th-century English standards. His friends and contemporaries often referred to his short stature, and Percy Bysshe Shelley sometimes described him as having an almost childlike appearance. Although he died at the age of only 25, Keats left behind a body of work that is still closely studied and widely admired in literature classes around the world today.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was about 1.63 m tall, and according to most contemporary accounts, he was also quite slender and delicate in appearance throughout his life. He began composing at a very young age and produced more than 600 works before his death at the age of just 35. Knowing this, it’s really easy to forget that the man behind it all was physically quite ordinary in appearance.

Attila the Hun, who brought much of Europe and Central Asia to its knees in the 5th century, was described by the Roman diplomat Priscus as being remarkably short. Historical accounts describe him as a stocky man with broad shoulders, a large head, a flat nose, and a thin, sparse beard. Given the terror he managed to instill in entire civilizations, it is clear that his height did not hinder him much.

Maximilien Robespierre, the French revolutionary leader who oversaw the execution of thousands of people during the Reign of Terror, was about 1.60 m tall and was described by his contemporaries as slender and almost delicate in appearance. His physical appearance was surprisingly unimpressive for someone who wielded absolute power over life and death in revolutionary France. He was also known for being very conscious of his appearance and always appeared impeccably dressed at public functions, which many historians interpret as an attempt to compensate for his unassuming physique.

Alexander the Great, who built one of the greatest empires of ancient history before the age of 33, was, according to most historians, between 1.52 m and 1.70 m tall, with the shorter end of this range being cited quite often. Ancient sources describe him as stocky and athletic, and several accounts indicate that many of his generals and soldiers were physically taller than he was.

Historical accounts suggest that Joan of Arc was rather short, with most estimates placing her height between 1.57 m and 1.60 m. She led French forces to several crucial victories during the Hundred Years’ War while she was still a teenager, at a time when the idea of a woman on the battlefield was practically inconceivable. When you consider that she accomplished all of this as a petite teenager operating within a military structure entirely dominated by men, her story becomes even more extraordinary.

The French Enlightenment writer Voltaire was about 1.60 m tall and, according to most contemporary descriptions, was rather thin and frail-looking for most of his adult life. He was one of the most prolific and influential writers of his time, producing works on philosophy, history, and political satire that challenged the religious and political institutions of 18th-century Europe. Given his immense intellectual reputation, one would never guess that he was, in person, of such modest appearance.

Frida Kahlo, one of the most iconic and recognizable artists of the 20th century, stood only 1.60 m tall and spent much of her adult life coping with chronic pain and a physical disability resulting from a terrible bus accident that occurred in her youth. Her self-portraits are often large-scale and extremely expressive, which tends to lead viewers to imagine a much more physically imposing artist behind them. What makes her legacy so remarkable is the impressive body of culturally significant work she produced while dealing with serious health issues for virtually her entire adult life.