Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it

July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891 American showman, businessman and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes.

"I am a showman by profession ... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me."
"there's a sucker born every minute"


Some "highlights" of his life

- Mentor was a lottery schemer and had great influence on him

- Bought the American Museum, renamed it after himself, did this going forward on future enterprises

- Made a fortune exploiting others. Joice Heth as example

- He suffered economic reversals from unwise investments, as well as years of litigation and public humiliation

- He embarked on a lecture tour as keynote speaker to emerge from debt.

- Married a friend of his daughter, 40 years his junior (not his 1st marriage)

- Engaged in "profitable philanthropy" where profit was his true motive

- Built many lavish homes for himself, mostly destroyed since

- Was a Democrat early in life, then became a Republican later in life

- Entered politics late in life with great success, was a Congressman

- Has a psychologic phenomon named after him which explains the accepted belief in astrology, fortune telling, and many personalty tests.

- Died of a stroke at the age of 80



I am old and loved an old broadcaster named Paul Harvey, he had a segment called "the rest of the story". In his honor I offer the following ....





Phineas Taylor Barnum

The man who made a fortune selling an unwitting public "The Great Egress" with such promotion and billed as "the greatest spectacle ever". Upon paying good money the patrons were hustled in only to be shown the door. Egress = Exit. P. T. Barnum, one of the greatest showman and hucksters in US history, made one of the great early American fortunes taking his patrons money and showing them the door.







RIP Paul Harvey Aurandt 1918 - 2009 a great American