Five identical girls—Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie Dionne—were born near Corbeil/Callander, Ontario, Canada, to Elzire and Oliva Dionne. Their birth and survival drew extraordinary attention because they were the first known quintuplets to survive infancy. The event quickly became an international news sensation during the Great Depression. Medical care and public fascination turned their early lives into a major public spectacle. Over time, their story became closely tied to debates about child welfare, guardianship, and commercialization.
