General Tom Thumb

General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838 - 1883), a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, to parents who were of medium height, Charles was a relatively large baby. He developed and grew normally for the first six months of his life. Then he stopped growing. His parents became concerned when, after his first birthday, they noticed he had not grown at all in the previous six months.

They showed him to their doctor, who said there was little chance he would ever grow to, or reach normal height. P.T. Barnum heard about Charles Strattonand after contacting his parents, taught the boy how to sing, dance, mime, and impersonate famous people. Stratton made his first tour of America at the age of five, with routines that included impersonating characters such as Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte as well as singing, dancing and comical banter.

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(via Neatorama)