Dangi was born November 30, 1939, in the remote village of Reemkholi in Nepal. Dangi was officially diagnosed with primordial dwarfism and grew to be a mere 21.5 inches tall. He weighed only 31 pounds. Prior to being named the record holder in 2012, he had never left his village of Reemkholi, in the Dang district of Nepal. Dangi credits the Guinness World Records designation for giving him the means to travel.
In 2012, record-keepers came to Kathmandu to measure Dangi. They determined that he was indeed the shortest man alive. Dangi stole the crown from the prior record-holder, a man from the Philippines who was a recorded 23.5 inches tall.
With his new world record-breaking status, Dangi was given the opportunity to travel — a dream come true for him.
In November of 2014, Dangi met the tallest living man, Sultan Kösen, for Guinness World Records Day. "I'm honored to be in London, I’ve always wanted to visit and the fact I get to meet Sultan is special. It makes me extremely proud to represent Nepal all around the world. I'm extremely humbled by the support I receive," Dangi said.
However, late this summer, Dangi fell ill — despite being sick, he traveled for an appearance to American Samoa. There, his conditioned worsened. He was admitted to the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center in Pago Pago, where he died September 3.
Dangi's body was taken back to Nepal by family members.
The Guinness Book of World Records released a statement on the day of Dangi's passing: "GWR would like to express its sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mr. Dangi’s family in this difficult time. He will be remembered forever as an iconic and extraordinary record holder."