Guinness Names World’s Shortest Woman
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PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images(LONDON) — Guinness World Records confirmed Friday that Jyoti Amge, of Nagpur, India, was the world’s shortest woman. She was measured at 62.8 centimeters (24.7 inches) tall, Guinness said in a statement.
Amge had been the world’s shortest teenager, according to Guinness, but Friday was her 18th birthday, making her eligible for the new title.
Since she was named world’s shortest teenager in 2009, Amge has grown 0.85 cm (0.33 inches), and she will grow no more. She has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, Guinness said.
The statement quoted Amge as saying the honor was “an extra birthday present,” and that she was grateful for her small stature because it had brought her recognition and opportunities to travel abroad.
The previous title holder was American Bridgette Jordan, 22, who is 6.2 centimeters (2.4 inches) taller than Amge, Guinness said.
Guinness called Amge a “budding fashionista” who customizes her clothes and jewelry to match her size, adding that Amge wants to finish university and then become a Bollywood star.
The shortest woman in history was Pauline Musters, 61 centimeters (24 inches), who lived in the Netherlands in the late 1800s, Guinness said.
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