Wheeler Presents A                     Chronology of Clowndom

1806

Joseph Grimaldi first performed his now famous character, Clown, in a popular pantomime of the time called Harlequin and Mother Goose.

1823

Civil War Era clown and Clown Hall of Fame inductee Daniel "Yankee Dan Rice" McLaren Jr. was born.

1838

Joseph Grimaldi's autobiography Clown's Memoirs was voluntarily edited by the great British author, Charles Dickens.

1840

"Yankee Dan Rice" McLaren first joined a circus, as an volunteer apprentice.

1872

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Umberto"Antonet" Guillaume was born in Brescia, Italy.

1873

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Joseph Francis "Joe Jackson" Jiranek, Sr. was born in Vienna, Austria.

1877

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Paul Fratellini was born in Sicily.

1879

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Francois Fratellini was born in Paris, France.

1886

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Karl Adrian "Grock" Wettach was born in Switzerland.

1886

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Albert Fratellini was born in Moscow, Russia.

1887

Yankee Dan Rice retired from circus life and the lecture circuit.

1890

Vitaly Effimovich Lazarenko the elder, a popular Soviet R'hizii clown, was born in the Soviet Union. (*note: R'izhii was a red-haired clown type popular in Soviet Union before World War II and was probably the inspiration for the modern auguste)

1891

Clown and Circus Halls of Fame inductee Edwin "Poodles" Hanneford, was born in Barnsley England. The story is told that the future famous comic equestrian was given his nickname by an aunt, who said that the baby looked like a fat poodle.

1892

Vance Debar "Pinto" Colvig Sr., the original Bozo the Clown was born in Jacksonville, Oregon. (Given Name: Vance DeBar Colvig)

1896

Clown and Circus Halls of Fame inductee Otto Griebling was born in Colenz, Germany.

Clown Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Rivels was born in Spain.

1898

Clown and Circus Halls of Fame inductee Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly Sr. was born in Sedan, Kansas, USA. (Given Name: Emmett Leo Kelly)

Six year old Clown Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Rival joined the family street performance act.

After the death of his father, eight-year-old Vitaly Lazarenko the elder joined his first circus, where he learned to be a tumbler / leaper.

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   This Website was updated on: 08/13/2004