Dan Rice (January 23, 1823 – February 22, 1900) was an American entertainer of many talents, most famously as a clown, who was active before the American Civil War. At the height of his career, Rice was a household name. Dan Rice also coined the terms "One Horse Show" and "Greatest Show" while popularizing the barrel-style "French" cuff. He was a figure in the new American mass culture brought on by the technological changes of the Industrial Revolution. Rice ran for President of the United States in 1868. With changes in circus venues and popular culture after the Civil War, his fame has gradually slipped into such historical obscurity that in 2001 biographer David Carlyon called him "the most famous man you've never heard of". Biography Born Daniel McLaren in New York City, Rice became a circus clown, animal trainer, songwriter, commentator, circus strong man, actor, director, producer, dancer, and politician. He ran for Senate, House, and President of the United States, dropping out of each race. Rice's uncle was a ringmaster for the Howes & Turner circus, organized in Salem, New York, in 1826. According to Rice himself, this was the first American circus to feature the canvas top that became so iconic. He traveled with this circus for 'several years' as a youngster. Rice innovatively combined animals, acrobats and clowns in a circus. He began performing in 1841, when he got a job of presenting a pig named Sybil whose tricks included a supposed ability tell time. He moved on to singing and dancing, and briefly sang in blackface. Gaining fame and popularity, he changed styles once again; he starred in various parodies of works by William Shakespeare, including that of "Dan Rice's Version of Othello" and "Dan Rice's Multifarious Account of Shakespeare's Hamlet". He would perform these with various songs and dialects. "Rice was not simply funnier than other clowns; he was different, mingling jokes, solemn thoughts, civic observations, and songs." During the 1847–48 season he was working with the circus of Gilbert R. Spalding. He began producing his own shows, and often had more than one tour going on at the same time. He then reinvented himself into a gentleman. He became involved in politics and would often have Democratic undertones in his shows. He won the affection of many newspapers and publicists, including those of a then unknown Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. Mark Twain