Hump Day History


 The Dionne quintuplets, the first quints to survive infancy, were born on this day in 1934 just outside of Ontario.

Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie, and Marie.

They were born premature, and after four months with their family, custody was signed over to the Red Cross, which paid for their care.  In 1935, the Ontario government passed the Dionne Quintuplets Guardianship Act, which made them wards of the Crown.

The Dafoe Hospital and Nursery was built for the girls and their caregivers, but it was also what has been called a "baby zoo."  The outdoor playground was designed to be a public observation area, which came to be known as Quintland.

The girls were also tested, studied, and examined.  Along with Dr. Dafoe, they were used to sell commercial products like Karo corn syrup and Colgate.  He profited immensely from his involvement, and Ontario did as well through tourist revenue.

In 1943, they were returned to their parents after much effort and pressure was placed on the government.  A home was built thanks to a trust fund that had been set up after a deal was made with the Toronto Star for exclusive rights to photographing.


In 1997, the surviving sisters won a $4M settlement against the government for exploitation.


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