Grace McDaniels (March 14 1888 – March 17 1958) had an extremely severe deformity that gave her grotesque facial features. In 1935, she won “The Ugliest Woman” contest, which lead her to a lucrative career with the Harry Lewiston’s Traveling Circus. McDaniels was known as “The Ugliest Woman in the World,” and the “Mule-Faced Woman.”

Related article: Elizabeth Anne Velásquez

A Severe Facial Deformity

“Sturge–Weber syndrome” by Frank Gaillard CC BY-SA 3.0

CT scan showing the brain of a 20 month old child with Sturge–Weber syndrome.

According to many sources on the Web, McDaniels likely suffered from a rare congenital neurocutaneous disorder called Sturge–Weber syndrome (or encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis). read more

Welcome to our fascinating interview with Grady Stiles III, the son of the famous sideshow freak Grady Stiles, Jr., also known as Lobster Boy (June 26, 1937 – November 29, 1992).

Related article: Images of rare human deformities

What is Ectrodactyly?

An X-ray of a 12-year-old girl in 1907.

Ectrodactyly (also known as as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM), cleft hand or lobster claw) is a rare congenital anomaly caused by human gene defects. It affects about 1 in 90,000 births.

The limb malformation involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand and/or foot. read more

Chang and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) are widely considered the most prominent conjoined twins in history, and are even the source of the colloquial term “Siamese Twins”, though that terminology is largely frowned upon for being largely incorrect and racist.

Chang and Eng have one of the most interesting stories ever heard. They started as slaves but eventually became slave-owners, finally losing their slaves again after the Civil War. The full-story of Chang and Eng is not only interesting because of their unique biology, but also for the crazy and complicated lives led by the brothers. read more

Pasqual Pinon (1889-1929) was a railroad worker from Texas. Thanks to his incredibly rare deformity, he was able to support a large family of seven with a lucrative career as a circus sideshow performer. Thanks to his Pinon’s promoter, many believed he was a man with two heads.

Sketch by Courtney Williams

For a similar story on a man with two faces, visit our post called Edward Mordrake: True or False? You will also want to read our article on the only case of conjoined triplets.

The Story Of The “The Two-Headed Mexican”

According to the story, at the top of Pinon’s head was a second head. Back in the early 1900s, Pinon performed with the Sells Floto Circus. His so-called second head is what earned him the name “The Two-Headed Mexican.” read more

We gathered a list of 15 weird phobias you may not believe are possible. Each may not only seem irrational, but also a little insane. Believe it or not, all are real disorders of the mind. Interestingly, it is estimated that over 6 million American people live with a phobia.

For decades, scientists have been researching to find answers to why people suffer from such irrational phobias. A Nature Neuroscience study found evidence that may provide a shocking explanation. The surprising results of the experiments explain that a traumatic event could affect DNA in sperm, which could then alter the brains and behavior of future generations. read more