Barnum, Phineas Taylor

1810 - Phineas Taylor Barnum was born on July 5,in the small Connecticut community of Bethel.

1820-1830 - He worked as a clerk in Brooklyn, ran a fruit and confectionary store back home, and was a lottery agent in Pennsylvania.

1829 - Barnum married Charity Hallett.

1831-1834 - Barnum edited his own newspaper in Danbury, the Herald of Freedom.

1835 - Barnum was once again in New York City, running a grocery store and a boarding house.

1835 - He began his career as a showman with his purchase and exhibition of a blind and almost completely paralyzed African-American slave woman, Joice Heth.

1836-1837 - He took a small circus on a tour throughout the South.

1841 - He purchased Scudder's American Museum, at Broadway and Ann Street, New York City.

1842 - Barnum made a special hit with the exhibition of Charles Stratton, the celebrated midget "General Tom Thumb".

1843 - Barnum hired the traditional Native American dancer Do-Hum-Me.

1844-1845 - Barnum toured with Charles Stratton in Europe and met with Queen Victoria.

1871 - He established P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome, a traveling amalgamation of circus.

1891 - Phineas Taylor Barnum died on 7th of April and buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut.