While still up for debate, Schlitzie (The Pinhead) was born in the Bronx on Sept. 10, 1901 (d. Sept. 24, 1971) as Simon Metz. Schlitzie. He was born with the medical condition microcephaly, and was an American sideshow performer.
Microcephaly
A side-view illustration showing a baby with microcephaly (left), and a baby with an average head (right).
Microcephaly is a condition that is characterized by an extremely small brain and cranium as well as a small stature. Many times, microcephaly results in intellectual disabilities. It is said that Schlitzie’s intellectual functioning was that of a three- or four-year-old and that he stood about four feet tall.