Biography:

Maria Feliciana dos Santos ( Amparo do São Francisco , May 27 , 1946 – Aracaju, April 27, 2024 ) was for a long time considered the tallest woman in the world, at the age of 23 she was already 2.25 m. ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ]}

History

An only child, descendant of a family marked by height, she is 2.25 m tall. His father Antônio Tintino da Silva was 2.40 m; his mother Dela Maria Rodrigues dos Santos , 1.80 m; the paternal grandmother, 2.30 m; and a paternal aunt was 2.30 m. ^{[ 2 ] [ 3 ]}

She grew normally until age 10, when her growth skyrocketed. She was a basketball player, singer and circus attraction. His first public performances were in 1962, at the age of 16. At 18 she received the title of Queen of Height , on the Chacrinha program .

Under the guidance of Antonio Freire de Souza , her discoverer and manager, she performed in circuses, cinemas and television. In one of these performances, she met José Gregório Ribeiro , Josa, “O Vaqueiro do Sertão”, who introduced her to Luiz Gonzaga , with whom she traveled for four months, on the singer’s tour. It was on his recommendation that she managed to perform on the Chacrinha program , A Hora da Buzina .

After this presentation, the program promoted an international contest to choose the tallest woman in the world and she was the winner, being named the “Queen of Height”. The coronation was attended by Luiz Gonzaga , who presented the crown, and Grande Otelo , who presented the sash. Among the candidates there was an American who was 2.15 m tall.

He started playing basketball at age 25. He was part of the Sergipe National Team for two years, then went to Porto Alegre, where he participated in the Brazilian Confederation of University Sports games. He also participated, in 1971, in the 22 Brazilian University Games.

For 12 years he sang in Trio Sergipano . Despite his height, he weighed, at the time, only 65 kilos and wore size 39 shoes. He left the trio when he met Assuíres José dos Santos , with whom he married and had three children: Charles, Shirlei, and Cleverton, who was 2.10 m tall. , 1.65 m and 2.10 m, respectively. In 1973, he formed several partnerships with country duos, when he performed many shows throughout Brazil.

In 1995 she had to have surgery on her foot, which was unsuccessful, which forced her to undergo other surgery. In the last one, the doctor removed bones and about a third of his foot. This made it impossible for him to stand upright. To make her situation even worse, her husband died in a car accident in 1998. With his death, who had become the family’s only source of income, her problems increased.

Even so, he managed to undergo new treatments on his foot and achieved a cure. He then began to live in a modest house.

Currently, Maria Feliciana suffered from osteoporosis , thrombosis and ulcers on both feet, making her unable to walk. ^[ 4 ]

She passed away at the age of 77 on April 27, 2024 in Aracaju, according to family members, she was admitted to a private hospital in the capital, she was facing pneumonia and heart complications. ^[ 5 ]

Credits: