Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share 12. The Exploitation of the Dionne Quintuplets
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
12. The Exploitation of the Dionne Quintuplets
The odds of identical quintuplets like the Dionne sisters being born and surviving into adulthood is only 1 in 57 million. So when the Dionne quintuplets were born in small town Corbeil, Ontario in 1934, they became instant celebrities across the nation with thousands of people offering to help the family and wanting to come visit and see the babies. This initial positive attention quickly darkened as members of the community began making moves to exploit the babies for financial gain, resulting in government intervention and a lifelong devastating impact on these 5 innocent baby girls.
Content warnings: Discussions of pregnancy loss, child exploitation, and sexual abuse of minors.
Keep updated on all things Historically Bad! Become a member of the OG Baddie tier on Patreon to access the bonus content and additional bloopers! #baddiesonly
Instagram: @historicallybadpodcast
Website: www.historicallybadpodcast.ca
Patreon: www.patreon.com/HistoricallyBadPatreon
Contact us: [email protected]
Historically Bad is created and produced by Tabitha Festa and Carly Sullivan.
Case Sources:
Paluszkiewicz-Misiaczek, Magdalena. "Dionne Quintuplets: unsuccessful experiment of a Noble Society." Ad Americam 9 (2008).
Berton, Pierre. "The Dionne years: A thirties melodrama." (No Title) (1977).
https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/evenement-event/dionne
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/twins/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. "Multiple pregnancy: antenatal care for twin and triplet pregnancies. Clinical guideline [CG129]." (2011).
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/finding-out/pregnant-with-twins/#:~:text=One%2Dthird%20of%20all%20twins,two%2Dthirds%20non%2Didentical.
Cassill, K. (1982). Twins: Nature's amazing mystery. Atheneum Books.
Walker, Melissa. "THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS." (2019): 27-27.
DaFoe, Allan Roy (April 1942). "What The Quints Have Taught Me". The Rotarian: 32–. ISSN 0035-838X.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/11/03/dionne-quintuplets-exploitation-five-girls-raised-baby-zoo/
https://www.history.com/news/baby-incubators-boardwalk-sideshows-medical-marvels
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/02/world/canada/ontario-dionne-quintuplets.html
Dafoe, Allan Roy, and William A. Dafoe. "The physical welfare of the Dionne Quintuplets." Canadian Medical Association Journal 37.5 (1937): 415.
https://www.life.com/history/the-dionne-quintuplets-little-girls-lost-in-the-harsh-glare-of-fame/
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Quintuplets-story-remains-one-of-shame-regret-17201521.php
View all episodes
By Historically BadThe odds of identical quintuplets like the Dionne sisters being born and surviving into adulthood is only 1 in 57 million. So when the Dionne quintuplets were born in small town Corbeil, Ontario in 1934, they became instant celebrities across the nation with thousands of people offering to help the family and wanting to come visit and see the babies. This initial positive attention quickly darkened as members of the community began making moves to exploit the babies for financial gain, resulting in government intervention and a lifelong devastating impact on these 5 innocent baby girls.
Content warnings: Discussions of pregnancy loss, child exploitation, and sexual abuse of minors.
Keep updated on all things Historically Bad! Become a member of the OG Baddie tier on Patreon to access the bonus content and additional bloopers! #baddiesonly
Instagram: @historicallybadpodcast
Website: www.historicallybadpodcast.ca
Patreon: www.patreon.com/HistoricallyBadPatreon
Contact us: [email protected]
Historically Bad is created and produced by Tabitha Festa and Carly Sullivan.
Case Sources:
Paluszkiewicz-Misiaczek, Magdalena. "Dionne Quintuplets: unsuccessful experiment of a Noble Society." Ad Americam 9 (2008).
Berton, Pierre. "The Dionne years: A thirties melodrama." (No Title) (1977).
https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/evenement-event/dionne
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/twins/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. "Multiple pregnancy: antenatal care for twin and triplet pregnancies. Clinical guideline [CG129]." (2011).
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/finding-out/pregnant-with-twins/#:~:text=One%2Dthird%20of%20all%20twins,two%2Dthirds%20non%2Didentical.
Cassill, K. (1982). Twins: Nature's amazing mystery. Atheneum Books.
Walker, Melissa. "THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS." (2019): 27-27.
DaFoe, Allan Roy (April 1942). "What The Quints Have Taught Me". The Rotarian: 32–. ISSN 0035-838X.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/11/03/dionne-quintuplets-exploitation-five-girls-raised-baby-zoo/
https://www.history.com/news/baby-incubators-boardwalk-sideshows-medical-marvels
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/02/world/canada/ontario-dionne-quintuplets.html
Dafoe, Allan Roy, and William A. Dafoe. "The physical welfare of the Dionne Quintuplets." Canadian Medical Association Journal 37.5 (1937): 415.
https://www.life.com/history/the-dionne-quintuplets-little-girls-lost-in-the-harsh-glare-of-fame/
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Quintuplets-story-remains-one-of-shame-regret-17201521.php