Timeline
- 1871 P. T. Barnum's "Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome" created with William Cameron Coup
- 1875 (c.) James Anthony Bailey starts his circus
- 1881 James Anthony Bailey and P.T. Barnum combine to form "Barnum and Bailey Circus"
- 1884 John Nicholas Ringling starts Ringling Brothers Circus
- 1891 Death of P. T. Barnum
- 1891 James Anthony Bailey buys Barnum assets from Barnum's widow
- 1906 Death of James Anthony Bailey
- 1907 The Ringling Brothers Circus purchases the "Barnum and Bailey Circus"
- 1919 John Ringling merges the two into "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus"
- 1937 John Ringling North takes control
- 1943 John Ringling North cedes control to his cousin, Robert
- 1944 Hartford Circus Fire
- 1947 John Ringling North takes control from his cousin, Robert
- 1967 Irvin Feld and Israel Feld and Roy M. Hofheinz buy the circus from the John Ringling North
- 1971 Sold to Mattel
- 1982 Irvin Feld buys the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc. from Mattel
- 1984 Kenneth Feld takes over after the death of his father, Irvin Feld
Read more about this topic: Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus