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Phineas Taylor "P.T." Barnum (1810)close

P.T. Barnum was born in Bethel, Connecticut. He was one of the most colorful and well-known personalities in US history. Barnum was the founding force behind one of America's most famous circuses: Barnum & Bailey Circus. Known as a huckster, he is often quoted as having said, "There's a sucker born every minute," however, it's likely he did not originate the phrase. He did, however, make the exhibition of such human curiosities as General Tom Thumb, a dwarf who stood just over 3 feet tall, the centerpiece of his "traveling museum."

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