U.S. Student Is World's Shortest Woman

A 22-year-old college student from Illinois has been named the world's shortest woman.

Bridgette Jordan, whose hobbies include dancing and cheerleading, stands just 27 inches tall, according to Guinness World Records. She and her 20-year-old Brad, who is 38 inches tall, were also named the "shortest living siblings" by the record-keeper.

The siblings, who attend Kaskasia College in central Illinois, were both born with Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II.

"I believe that everyone should be confident in themselves," Bridgette Jordan said in a statement.

Previously, the shortest living woman was Elif Kocaman of Kadirli, Turkey, who is 28.5 inches tall. The record for shortest woman who ever lived was Pauline Musters, of the Netherlands, who measured 24 inches when she died from pneumonia at age 19 in 1895, according to Guinness.