He Pingping, World's Shortest Man, Dies

(March 15) -- He Pingping, the world's shortest man, has died. He was 21.

The cherub-faced, 2-foot-5-inch Guinness World Record holder was in Rome for a TV show when he complained of chest pains. He was admitted to a hospital two weeks ago and died Saturday of what Guinness describes as "heart complications."

"From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was someone special," said Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday.

Ibrahim Usta, AP

He Pingping of China measured just over 29 inches tall. His status as the world's shortest man made him internationally famous.

Glenday was among the Guinness team that ventured to Wulanchabu, a city in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, to measure He in 2008 and verify his claim to be the world's shortest man.

To earn one of the most famous world records, the 18-year-old had to be measured three times in a single day to get his precise height, which was 29.37 inches.

In a matter of weeks, He became an international celebrity.

In 2008, he posed standing between the knees of Svetlana Pankratova -- otherwise known as the world's leggiest woman. The 6-foot-5 Russian has gams that measure 4 feet, 4 inches, from heel to thigh. Together they celebrated the release of the 2008 Guinness book.

"I am very sorry he is gone," Sultan Kösen, the world's tallest man, told AOL News. "I am just glad we had the opportunity to know each other and become friends."

Binod Joshi, AP

Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who stands at 22 inches tall, is in line to become the next record holder as the world's shortest man.

He met the 8-foot-1 Turk in Istanbul in January, when the two got together for the opening of the "Guinness World Records Live! Roadshow" at Forum Istanbul.

"I'm really happy that he was willing to travel to Turkey," Kösen said.

"Pingping shows us that, despite the challenges we face, we can still make the most of life, and for such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world," Glenday said. "He will be greatly missed."

The man most likely to claim He's record is 22-inch-tall Khagendra Thapa Magar. While he's shorter than He, the Nepalese teen has yet to reached his 18th birthday, making him not quite a man.

It is expected that Magar will claim the title later this year.