Human Oddities Trivia Quiz

Answer: "The Half Boy"

Johnny was born with no legs and an underdeveloped spine and lower pelvis, which left him looking as if he'd been cut off at the waist. He walked on his hands.

Answer: They were a "giant" and a "half girl".

Jeannie (born Bernice Smith) was born with no legs as a result of amniotic banding, which cuts off the blood to the fetal legs during development. Her husband Al (Aurelio) was 8'4" tall.

Answer: Health and hygiene

In particular, Frank addressed healthy sexuality and pregnancy: "The mother in her child-bearing should take proper exercise daily. It is only by reasonable and regular exercise that she can maintain the vigor of all her parts. She may walk, ride, work.

She should be much in the open air and sunlight. She should avoid idleness, cheerlessness, distress and despondency as she would shun contagion, for they cannot but contribute toward making her condition worse. There is no better exercise than that of regular ordinary work and that of walking in the open air. Agreeable occupation, constant employment, busy cheerfulness, are the surest means of avoiding both mental and physical depression." (from a Frank Lentini pitchcard)

Answer: They set up a family farm for themselves and their 14 siblings.

Millie and Christine had been born as slaves in North Carolina in 1851. There are differing accounts as to how they won their freedom and the freedom of their family members. But they did lift themselves and their family out of poverty into prosperity.

Answer: She was dead when the picture was taken.

When Julia and her baby died shortly after she gave birth, her husband had the bodies preserved and continued to exhibit them for many years.

Answer: General Tom Thumb

Barnum even hired babies to pose with Tom and Lavinia to maintain the public enthusiasm with the couple.

Answer: She had a baby.

The baby was born out of wedlock. Rosa and her lover were unable to get a marriage license because marriage to a conjoined twin was considered bigamy.

Answer: One

Durks was presented as having three eyes, but the third "eye" was painted onto his face between his one functioning eye and a vestigial eye.

Answer: He murdered his daughter's fiancée.

Stiles managed to avoid prison by asserting that no prison was able to accommodate his special needs. His wife eventually tired of his abusiveness and plotted with their son-in-law to arrange his murder. Everyone involved in the plot was sentenced to prison.

Answer: He toured the country as a spokesman for the company that made his size 37 shoes.

Robert had hoped to become a lawyer, but had to leave college after just one year because it was too risky for him to walk the icy pavements among the buildings. It was also very difficult to find seats in class, and to hold a pencil in his enormous hand.

As for his clothes and shoes, his family had most of them burned after his death to keep them from falling into the hands of collectors to whom their son was just an interesting "freak".