General Tom Thumb (aka Charles Sherwood Stratton), the performer who achieved worldwide fame in P.T. Barnum’s circus, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on 4 January 1838.

To celebrate the day, here is a fascinating profile of Tom Thumb, from a newspaper published in 1844.

Carlisle Journal – Saturday 16 November 1844

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http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000363/18441116/007/0003