Phineas Taylor “P. T. "Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American businessman, showman, and sometime politician best remembered for his amusing hoaxes and as the co-founder of the circus that became the Barnum and Bailey Circus - the “Greatest Show on Earth”.  He was America’s second millionaire and considered the most popular American in the world in his day. Sometimes referred to as “The Father of Marketing” and “The Shakespeare of Advertising”, he said of himself, “I am a showman by profession… and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me”. Today he would be called a serial entrepreneur, earning fortunes embarking on ventures that included Barnum’s Grand Scientific and Musical Theatre, Barnum’s American Museum in New York, and the promotion of singer Jenny Lind’s wildly popular American tour, before establishing the circus at the age of 60 in 1870. He also served as mayor of Bridgeport, CT, four terms Congressman from Fairfield, and as President of Bridgeport Hospital, which he helped found.