circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers : Albert (1852-1916), August (1854-1907), Otto (1858-1911), Alfred T. (1862-1919), Charles (1863-1926), John (1866-1936), and Henry (1869-1918). In 1907 it acquired the Barnum & Bailey Circus , merging them in 1919 to become Ringling Brothers Barnum