The true story of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, the lady born with four legs and two private parts
For all intents and purposes, Josephine Myrtle Corbin was an ordinary girl. Her birth was not unusual, and her mother claimed to have had a typical labor and delivery, with the exception of the baby being briefly in breech position.
The doctors who examined the baby after birth described her as strong and healthy, with good growth rates. One year later, she was discovered to be nursing “healthily” and “thriving well.”
Overall, Myrtle Corbin was a healthy, active, and thriving baby girl. All despite having four legs.
Almost entirely ordinary
After Myrtle Corbin was born with four legs, two normal-sized ones on either side of a pair of small ones, the doctor who delivered her felt compelled to point out the factors that they believed contributed to her deformity. First, the doctors stated that the baby’s parents were approximately ten years apart in age. William H. Corbin was 25, and his wife Nancy was 34.
Second, the doctors noticed that the couple looked very similar to each other. Both of them were redheads with blue eyes and very fair skin. They actually looked so similar that the doctors felt compelled to explicitly state in their medical reports that they were not “blood kin”.
The young girl appeared to be just an anomaly despite the two factors the doctors mentioned; her parents had seven other children, all of whom were quite normal.
It would later be discovered that she had dipygus from birth and that the splitting of her body’s axis during development was probably the cause of her illness. She was thus born with two pelvises next to each other.
She had two sets of legs—one small and one normal sized—for each pelvis. The two normal legs, one with a clubbed foot, were positioned on either side of the two small legs, which were side by side.
Myrtle Corbin’s smaller inner legs were movable, but not strong enough for her to be able to walk on, according to medical journals kept by the doctors who treated her throughout her life. which, since they weren’t long enough to touch the ground, of course, didn’t really matter.
The Sideshow Career of Myrtle Corbin
Myrtle Corbin, then 13 years old, entered the sideshow circuit in 1881 and went by the stage name “The Four-Legged Girl From Texas.” Her father saw her potential for both fame and money after showing her to interested neighbors and charging them a dime apiece. He started running advertisements in newspapers urging people to visit her and had promotional pamphlets made.
She was portrayed in the promotional materials as a girl who was “as gentle of disposition as the summer sunshine and as happy as day is long,” and it seemed to be the case.
She flourished as a sideshow attraction, earning immense popularity. She eventually started traveling instead of drawing inquisitive bystanders. She was able to make up to $450 per week by traveling to small towns and cities and giving public performances.
In the end, renowned entertainer P.T. She was hired by Barnum for his show after he learned of her.
She stayed on staff at Barnum for four years, and when he could not get her, she even encouraged a few other showmen to create lifelike four-legged human characters for their own productions.
In the end, renowned entertainer P.T. She was hired by Barnum for his show after he learned of her.
She stayed on staff at Barnum for four years, and when he could not get her, she even encouraged a few other showmen to create lifelike four-legged human characters for their own productions.
Myrtle Corbin’s life after the circus
Myrtle Corbin left the sideshow industry at the age of 18. She had fallen in love after meeting Clinton Bicknell, a physician. The two tied the knot at 19.
In the spring of 1887, Myrtle Corbin found out she was expecting a child, about a year later. She had visited a doctor in Blountsville, Alabama, claiming to have fever, headaches, decreased appetite, and left side pain. Her two sets of internal and external reproductive anatomy made her anatomically unique, but doctors did not think that this prevented her from carrying her pregnancy to term.
Despite the fact that she became extremely sick during the first three months of her pregnancy and her doctor had to perform an abortion, she went on to have four more healthy children.
Myrtle Corbin’s life was comparatively normal after giving birth to her children and acting in the sideshow. She and her family continued to live a quiet life in their Texas home, even though her case kept coming up in national medical journals.
She eventually passed away in 1928 from a streptococcal skin infection. Although the condition is now easily treatable thanks to antibiotics, there was no such treatment in the 1920s.
Her coffin was buried and covered in concrete on May 6, 1928.
Japan’s Chicken-Flavored Ice Cream: The Bold Fusion of Sweet Vanilla and Real Grilled Chicken
A Japanese company once created chicken-flavored ice cream using real grilled chicken bits mixed into vanilla. It combined sweet and savory in a way few dared try, but it drew curiosity from foodies seeking extreme culinary experiences.
When the Sky Rained Fish: An Unbelievable Encounter Above Alaska
A small Alaskan plane was hit by a fish falling from the sky. It had been dropped by an eagle that misjudged its grip. The plane was unharmed, but it made the news as possibly the weirdest bird strike ever.
The Mystery of Canada's Magical Spotted Lake
Lake Khiluk, the world's most mineralized lake, and one of the most mysterious places on Earth. Each of these spots has a distinct chemical content and is said to cure various diseases.
Jack the Baboon operated a railroad, earned a living, and never made a mistake
A baboon worked as a signalman for the railroad in the late 1800s. He never made a mistake and worked for the railroad until the day he died.
A woman finds her ex-boyfriend living in her attic 12 years after they broke up
Most people have heard of "things that go bump in the night," but for one South Carolina lady, that "thing" was her ex-boyfriend, whom she discovered living in her attic more than 12 years after they broke up.
Preserving Bodies in a Deep Freeze Await Revival
There are currently hundreds of deceased people in the U.S., including baseball legend Ted Williams, whose bodies are frozen in liquid nitrogen in hopes that future technology will be able to revive them.
Kim Peek: The Real Rain Man Who Memorized 12,000 Books
Kim Peek wasn’t just a man with an extraordinary memory—he was a megasavant whose astonishing ability to recall the contents of over 12,000 books inspired the iconic character Raymond Babbitt in the film Rain Man. Able to read two pages at once, scanning one with each eye, Peek could memorize an entire book in about an hour. Despite his phenomenal talents, he faced developmental challenges and lived a unique life that changed perceptions about human potential and cognitive diversity. This article explores the remarkable story of Kim Peek, his capabilities, and the legacy he left behind.
This Yogi Spent 76 Years Without Eating or Drinking Anything and Confirmed by
Prahlad Jani, the starving monk who lived 76 Years without food and water.
Woman's memory reset every two hours after traumatic accident
Riley Horner, an Illinois teenager was accidentally kicked in the head. As a result of the injury, her memory resets every two hours, and she wakes up thinking every day is June 11. Riley keeps detailed notes of events happening throughout the day, and sets an alarm on her phone every two hours to remind her to review them. Riley also keeps a calendar in her room to remind her what day it is? As she wakes up every morning confused, thinking it's still June 11.
Story of Peng Shuilin: Man with only half a body
We have a habit of whining in our daily lives. We never seem to be pleased with the things we have in life. "I want to be skinny," fat people say, "I want to be fat," slim people say. Poor people aspire to be wealthy, and wealthy people are never satisfied with their status. Everywhere we go, we're whining. Can you image how a man would want to live if he didn't have any legs or bums at all?
June and Jennifer Gibbons The silent twin who Only Spoke to Each Other
Identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons were born on 11 April 1963 at a military hospital in Aden, Yemen where their father worked as part of the Royal Air Force.
Mill Ends Park, the Smallest Park in the World
Portland, Oregon is home to the tiniest park in the world, a two-foot-diameter circle. Mill End Park is the name of this park.
Why This Belgian Bar Makes You Trade Your Shoe for a Beer
To prevent tourists from stealing their beer glasses, some bars in Belgium require people to hand over one of their shoes as a deposit which is then put in a basket and hung from the ceiling. These shoe baskets have also become an attraction.
The Incredible Story of Martin Laurello, The Sideshow Performer With The Revolving Head
Martin Laurello was also known as 'The human owl'. He was born with the ability to turn his head a full 180 degree.
The story of Lionel the Lion-Faced Man, Stephan Bibrowski
Stephen Bibrowski, also known as Lionel the Lion-faced Man, was a well-known sideshow entertainer. His entire body was covered in long hair, giving him the appearance of a lion; this was most likely due to a rare condition known as hypertrichosis. Lionel traveled to the United States in 1901 and began performing with the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Why Do Spiders Rain From the Sky? The Strange Ballooning Phenomenon
Every now and then, people around the world are amazed—and sometimes disturbed—to see thousands of tiny spiderlings floating down from the sky, seemingly raining on the earth below. This eerie spectacle is the result of a curious and fascinating behavior called ballooning, in which spiders use silk threads as invisible parachutes to catch the wind and fly. Recent scientific discoveries reveal that spiders can even harness Earth’s electric fields to take off without wind, making their aerial journeys feel almost supernatural. This article explores the science, mystery, and wonder behind the ballooning phenomenon.
Atomic Tourism: In the 1950s, nuclear tests in Las Vegas served as a draw for tourists
Between 1950 and 1960, Las Vegas offered “Atomic Tourism” in which guests could watch atomic bombs being tested in the desert as a form of entertainment.
The Heartbreaking Story Of Ella Harper, The ‘Camel Girl’
Ella Harper, Professionally known as the “Camel Girl” was born with a rare orthopedic condition that cased her knee to bend backward. Due to this condition, had to walked on all four legs, which resulted in her nickname as “Camel Girl”. Tough it was hard at first, but soon she made a fortune out of it.
The mystery of India's 'lake of skeletons'
In 1942, a British forest guard in India made an alarming discovery. Some 16,000 feet above sea level, at the bottom of a small valley, was a frozen lake absolutely full of skeletons.
The Astonishing Case of Sanju Bhagat: Living with a Twin Inside Him for 36 Years
Sanju Bhagat, an Indian farmer, lived with an undiagnosed parasitic twin inside his abdomen for 36 years. In 1999, doctors discovered the twin during surgery. This rare condition, fetus in fetu, occurs when a malformed twin is absorbed during pregnancy, surviving within the host sibling's body.
Pierre Brassau: The chimpanzee painter who deceived the avant-garde world
Abstract paintings by a previously unknown artist “Pierre Brassau” were exhibited at a gallery in Sweden, earning praise for his “powerful brushstrokes” and the “delicacy of a ballet dancer”. None knew that Pierre Brassau was actually a 4 year old chimp from the local zoo.
Recipient of suicide victim's heart kills himself 12 years later
In 1995, Sonny Graham received a transplanted heart from a suicide victim. He then committed suicide in the very same manner as the donor.
The Story of the Hidden Flight Simulator Game in Microsoft Excel 97
Before smartphones ruled hidden gaming, Microsoft slipped an extraordinary secret into one of its flagship office programs: a fully functional flight simulator game inside Excel 97. This little-known Easter egg captivated users who discovered a way to pilot a plane through the grid-like interface. Explore how this unexpected feature was created, the tech magic behind it, and why it remains a legendary piece of software lore.
The Google Maps Discovery: the Mystery of William Moldt's Disappearance
In 2019, Google Maps helped solve the decades-old mystery of William Moldt, who disappeared in 1997. A former resident spotted his submerged car in a retention pond while using Google Earth. The vehicle, visible since 2007, contained Moldt's skeletal remains, providing closure to his case.
San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia: community inside prison
Bolivia’s largest prison has a society within itself and no guards inside the walls. Inmates elect their own leaders, make their own laws, get jobs to pay for their cell’s rent, and can even live with their families.
