July 5, 1810. Promoter of the bizarre and unusual. Barnum’s American Museum opened in 1842, promoting unusual acts including the Feejee Mermaid, Chang and Eng (the original Siamese twins) and General Tom Thumb.In 1850 he began his promotion of Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale,and parlayed her singing talents into a major financial success.
In 1871 The Greatest Show on Earth opened at Brooklyn, NY; Barnum merged with his rival J.A. Bailey in 1881 to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus. P.T.
Barnum was born at Bethel, CT, and died at Bridgeport, CT, Apr 7, 1891.
Image: Harvard Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47588191