Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and entertainer. He started his career in New York City by showing off a slave he owned named Joice Heth. He told people that Joice was 161 years old and removed her teeth to make her look older. It was a lie, but it made him famous at a young age, and he even showed off her dead body in a public autopsy.