The man who came to be known as Hopp the Frog Boy, Samuel 'Sam' Parks, lived a life both cursed and charmed . Sam was born on October 20, 1874 in Boston and his first public appearance was at the age of 19 and for the benefit of medical students at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Sam Parks was likely born with osteogenisis ...
Katherine M. Smith, was born into a poor Chicago family on October 29, 1882. Like her two older brothers and her younger sister, ‘Kittie’ was a rather unremarkable girl and completely intact and average. That was until a sinister incident transpired and rendered her armless. At the age of nine, Kittie’s mother suddenly passed away and she was left ...
Ichthyosis finds its etymological origins in the Greek term for ‘fish’, however the majority of human exhibits afflicted with the skin condition often adopted an Alligator-themed epithet. Susi’s skin, however, was particularly coarse and cracked and the title of ‘elephant-skinned’ seemed more appropriate and illustrative. While accounts do vary Susi was likely born in 1909 as ...
Most marvels are simply born unique. Other marvels are self-made via years of perseverance, dedication and training. Some are created via events of misfortune and Sam Alexander turned his misfortune into a lucrative career as a unique attraction few would ever forget. Sam Alexander was born a relatively average man. In his early 20’s he was ...
Rondo Hatton was born in Hagerstown, Maryland on April 22, 1894 to Missouri-born teachers. Young Rondo spent much of his youth travelling the East Coast of the United States with his parents his father passed away and his mother finally settled in Tampa. As a teenager Rondo was not only regarded as an intelligent young man ...
