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 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000363/18441116/007/0003