John Ringling (May 31, 1866 - December 2, 1936) was the most well-known and the most successful of the five Ringling brothers, who merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the circus into what it is today. May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Latin word monopolium - Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ...

Early circus life

John was born in McGregor, Iowa, the fifth of seven sons and a daughter of German immigrants, farmer August and Marie Salomé (Juliar) Ringling (the original family name was “Ruengling”). Five of those sons teamed together to build their circus empire. McGregor is a city located in Clayton County, Iowa. ...

The Ringlings started their own show in 1870, the “The Ringling Brothers United Monster Shows, Great Double Circus, Royal European Menagerie, Museum, Caravan, and Congress of Trained Animals”, charging a penny for admission. In 1882, it was known as “The Ringling Brothers Classic and Comic Concert Company”. In 1884, they formed the “Yankee Robinson and Ringling Brothers Circus” (the only time they accepted second billing). 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

By 1889 the circus was large enough to travel on railroad cars, rather than animal-drawn wagons. Admission rose to 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A railway yard in Portland, Oregon. ...

In 1905, John married Mable Burton, whom he met in New Jersey. In 1907, the brothers bought the Barnum & Bailey circus for $400,000 and ran the two circuses as separate entities for a few years. John worked the circus with his brothers, declaring "We divided the work; but stood together." John took the advance position, traveling ahead and booking the appearances and Charles was the operating manager. The Ringling Brothers Circus was renowned for its honesty and fair-dealing. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884. ...

Building the circus empire

His brother Otto died unexpectedly in 1911 and Al died in 1916. It was soon apparent that running two circuses was more than the remaining brothers could handle. So on March 29, 1919, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus debuted at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The posters declared, "The Ringling Brothers World's Greatest Shows and the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth are now combined into one record-breaking giant of all exhibitions." 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ringling Bros. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... Nickname: Big Apple; City that never Sleeps; Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

Alf T. died in 1919 and seven years later, Charles died in 1926, leaving John by himself to manage the empire. 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1927 Ringling moved the winter headquarters to Sarasota, Florida, where he and his wife, Mable, had been spending winters since 1909 and where they had built a 30-room English country house with the look of an Italian renaissance mansion and a similar museum building for his art collection. He and his brother, Charles, were instrumental in the modern development of Sarasota. John soon became one of the richest men in the world. His circus travels took him all over Europe, and he established a collection of fine Baroque art. He also acquired a large collection of work by Peter Paul Rubens. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Cà dZan - a 1925 Sarasota residence that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places Sarasota is a city in the central west coast of Florida, USA. The Gulf of Mexico is to the west and Sarasota Bay separates portions of this city that is composed of a... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Rubens and Isabella Brant in the Honeysuckle Bower Alte Pinakothek Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was the most popular and prolific Flemish and European painter of the 17th century. ...

In 1929, Ringling shocked the entertainment world by buying the American Circus Corporation (consisting of the Sells-Floto Circus, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, the John Robinson Circus, the Sparks Circus, the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and the Al. G. Barnes Circus) from its stockholders, Jeremiah Jerry Mugivan, Bert Bowers and Ed Ballard, for $2 million. With that acquisition, Ringling owned virtually every traveling circus in America. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A promotional poster for the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. ... Buffalo Bill Cody Buffalo Bill (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was born William Frederick Cody in the American state of Iowa, near Le Claire . ...

Decline in later life

Ringling’s health soon began to fail and the Great Depression (which gripped the nation almost as soon as he acquired the American Circus Corporation) dealt a severe financial blow to the John Ringling empire. He lost virtually his entire fortune, but was able to retain his home, the museum, and his extensive art collection. His wife, Mable, had died in June, 1929 and although he remarried a year later, his second marriage was not a happy one. Ringling was voted out of control of the business in 1932 and Sam Gumpertz was placed in charge of the corporation by the board of directors. The Great Depression an economic downturn which started in 1929 (although its effects were not fully felt until late 1930) and lasted through most of the 1930s. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ...

Ringling Montana was named for John Ringling of circus fame, who at one time was president of the White Sulpher Springs and Yellowstone Railway, Montana history buffs tell that the Ringling Brothers wintered Near White Sulpher Springs and supposedly there is a grave of a very large elephant just outside of what is now Ringling, MT - some say it was the origional Jumbo. Railroads no longer pass through this town.

John Ringling died on December 2, 1936. At his death, he willed his house, the museum, and his entire art collection to the state of Florida. The house, Cá dˈZan, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art offer visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Roaring 20s and a renowned art collection. Another of John’s legacies is the Ringling School of Art and Design, which asked to adopt his name because of the cultural influence of the museum and its collection. A museum devoted to the Ringling Brothers Circus has been established on the estate also. December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is an art museum located in Sarasota, Florida. ... Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ... Ringling School of Art and Design Ringling School of Art and Design(sometimes abbreviated as RSAD) is a private, four-year accredited college located in Sarasota, Florida. ... The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884. ...

After his death, the circus was operated by his nephew, John Ringling North, who sold the circus to the Feld family in 1967. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

The Ringling Circus Brothers

• Albert Ringling (1852-1916)
• August (Otto) Ringling (1854-1907)
• Alfred T. Ringling (1862-1919)
• Charles Ringling (1864-1926)
• John Ringling (1866-1936)
• Henry Ringling (1869-1918)
• A. G. ("Gus") Ringling

External links

• John Ringling at findagrave
• The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art