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National Short Person Day

A lighthearted observance on December 22 celebrating shorter-statured individuals and challenging height-based stereotypes in everyday life.

Tuesday

December 2026

Last updated March 18, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEDecember 22

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYFun

SUBCATEGORYSilly

ORIGIN

Community Origin

FOUNDING ENTITY

Not documented

FIRST OBSERVED

~2018

HOW THE HOLIDAY CAME TO BE

No documented founder or formal establishment record has been identified. The observance gained widespread traction on social media around 2018 and is widely shared online each December 22.

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INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

The average American man stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, and the average American woman 5 feet 3.5 inches, but roughly 2 to 3 percent of the population falls medically below the expected height range for their age and sex. National Short Person Day gives that population, and anyone who has been underestimated because of their stature, a day to push back against a bias that most people never think to question.

Height influences how strangers perceive competence, leadership ability, and even earning potential. A landmark 2004 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that each inch of height above average correlates with $789 more per year in workplace earnings. This observance highlights those invisible disadvantages while celebrating the resilience and accomplishments of shorter people throughout history.

ORIGINS

Short Person Day history

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between height and social standing is not new, and the observance that eventually became National Short Person Day emerged from centuries of cultural assumptions about what it means to be tall or short. Throughout recorded history, height has been linked to power, authority, and desirability, often without any basis beyond appearance.

In many pre-modern societies, taller stature was associated with better nutrition, higher social class, and physical dominance. Kings and military leaders were frequently described as tall in historical accounts, whether or not they actually were. Napoleon Bonaparte, often cited as the archetype of short-man overcompensation, actually stood around 5 feet 7 inches, roughly average for a Frenchman of his era.

CHAPTER 01

Advocacy and legal milestones

Organized advocacy for shorter-statured individuals began in 1957, when actor Billy Barty founded Little People of America after gathering 21 people in Reno, Nevada. The organization grew into a national network with over 7,500 members, advocating for accessibility, medical resources, and equal treatment. In 1976, Michigan passed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, one of the first state laws in the country to explicitly ban discrimination based on height and weight, covering employment, housing, education, and public accommodations.

CHAPTER 02

The science of height trends

Global average height increased steadily through the twentieth century, driven by improvements in nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare. Men in the Netherlands became the tallest in the world, averaging over 6 feet. But in many high-income countries, including the United States, average height has plateaued since the 1980s. Meanwhile, South Korean women experienced the largest height gain of the past century, growing 20.2 centimeters taller on average. These shifts reflect economic and nutritional conditions far more than genetics alone.

CHAPTER 03

A social media observance takes shape

National Short Person Day emerged organically through online communities in the late 2010s. No verified founder or formal establishment has been documented. The December 22 date follows the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the connection appears intentional even if no one has claimed credit for choosing it. The observance spread through hashtags, memes, and personal posts celebrating shorter-statured people, growing into a recognizable annual event on social media.

TIMELINE

National Short Person Day Timeline

Little People of America founded

Actor Billy Barty invited 21 people of short stature to a gathering in Reno, Nevada, creating the first national advocacy organization for individuals with dwarfism.

Michigan bans height discrimination

The Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act became one of the first U.S. laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on height and weight in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Height-wage premium quantified

Researchers Timothy Judge and Daniel Cable published a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology showing each inch of height is worth $789 per year in earnings.

FOXO3 longevity gene linked to stature

Researchers at the University of Hawaii identified the FOXO3 gene as more prevalent in individuals of smaller body size, correlating shorter stature with increased longevity.

National Short Person Day gains traction

The observance began circulating widely on social media platforms, with users sharing posts, memes, and personal stories each December 22.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Short Person Day

Learn about height bias research

Read the American Psychological Association's coverage of the Judge and Cable study on height and workplace success. Understanding the data behind height bias is the first step toward recognizing it in daily life.

SUPPORT

Support Little People of America

Visit Little People of America to learn about their advocacy work, scholarship programs, and community events. The organization has supported individuals with dwarfism and their families since 1957.

Share the stories of short-statured historical figures

Use the day to highlight accomplished individuals who defied height expectations, from Simone Biles (4 feet 8 inches) dominating Olympic gymnastics to Danny DeVito building a decades-long career in Hollywood. Post about the achievements, not the inches.

CHECK

Check your own height assumptions

Pay attention to how height influences your perceptions of authority, competence, and attractiveness throughout the day. The Harvard Implicit Association Test offers tools for examining unconscious biases across multiple categories.

CELEBRATE

Celebrate a shorter friend or family member

Send a message, share a memory, or simply acknowledge someone in your life who has dealt with height-related teasing or assumptions. The observance works best when it moves from generic appreciation to specific recognition of real people.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Short Person Day

Legal protections for height remain rare

Michigan remains one of very few U.S. jurisdictions to explicitly prohibit height-based discrimination in employment. Federal antidiscrimination laws, including Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act, do not cover height as a protected characteristic, leaving most shorter workers without legal recourse against bias.

Height bias has measurable economic consequences

The Judge and Cable study found that a person who is 6 feet tall earns roughly $166,000 more over a 30-year career than a colleague who is 5 feet 5 inches, even after controlling for gender, age, and weight. An estimated 58 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs stand over 6 feet tall, a proportion far exceeding the roughly 14.5 percent of American men at that height.

Shorter stature correlates with health advantages

Research has linked the FOXO3 gene, found more frequently in smaller-bodied individuals, to increased longevity and reduced cancer risk. Studies have also shown that shorter individuals tend to have lower rates of blood clots and may require fewer calories, both factors associated with longer lifespans.

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