Latest news with #AnnetteDionne
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photo Gallery: The Dionne quintuplets
Photo Gallery: The Dionne quintuplets Cécile Dionne, one of the world-famous Dionne quintuplets, died on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the age of 91 following a long illness, a family spokesperson confirmed. Cécile and her sisters became an instant global sensation from the moment of their birth in the Ontario community of Corbeil on May 28, 1934, as they became the first quintuplets known to survive past infancy. Carlo Tarini, a spokesperson of the family, confirmed the death and told The Canadian Press that Cécile died early Monday morning. "She lived her life with quiet dignity, exemplary discretion, and gentle humour, despite the hardships of a childhood lived in the public eye," reads an obituary Tarini shared. Cécile weighed less than two pounds when she was born and dealt with osteoporosis and other ongoing health problems related to her premature birth. She also fought COVID-19 twice, Tarini said. "She was not just a survivor, she was a real fighter. She showed remarkable strength of character," Tarini said in an interview Friday. The Dionne quintuplets were hailed as a salve to the gloom of financial austerity at the peak of their Depression-era fame — but the sisters said the attention came at a personal cost. Cécile and her sister Annette, who is now the last remaining quintuplet, spoke to The Canadian Press in 2019 and said parents should view childhood as a precious time that shouldn't be exploited for profit. Here is a look back at the quintuplets in photos. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Cécile Dionne, one of the famous Dionne quintuplets, dead at 91: family spokesperson
Cécile Dionne, one of the world-famous Dionne quintuplets, died earlier this week at the age of 91 following a long illness, a family spokesperson confirmed Friday. Cécile and her sisters became an instant global sensation from the moment of their birth in the Ontario community of Corbeil on May 28, 1934 as they became the first quintuplets known to survive past infancy. Carlo Tarini, a spokesperson of the family, confirmed the death and told The Canadian Press that Cécile died early Monday morning. "She lived her life with quiet dignity, exemplary discretion, and gentle humour, despite the hardships of a childhood lived in the public eye," reads an obituary Tarini shared. Cécile weighed less than two pounds when she was born and dealt with osteoporosis and other ongoing health problems related to her premature birth. She also fought COVID-19 twice, Tarini said. "She was not just a survivor, she was a real fighter. She showed remarkable strength of character," Tarini said in an interview Friday. The Dionne quintuplets were hailed as a salve to the gloom of financial austerity at the peak of their Depression-era fame — but the sisters said the attention came at a personal cost. Cécile and her sister Annette, who is now the last remaining quintuplet, spoke to The Canadian Press in 2019 and said parents should view childhood as a precious time that shouldn't be exploited for profit. When the quintuplets were only months old, the Ontario government took them away from their cash-strapped parents, who already had five children before their brood doubled overnight. The government then installed them across the street from their childhood home in a nursery-style exhibition called Quintland, where millions of tourists lined up to observe the girls sitting in a closed compound through one-way glass. The attraction became so popular that the route between Toronto and North Bay was expanded to a four-lane highway to accommodate the flood of tourists coming to visit the quintuplets, Tarini said. The girls also became ambassadors for companies such as Kellogg's and Palmolive, and had five identical ships named after them during the Second World War. When the quintuplets were 18 years old, they decided to move away from home and out of the public eye. But it was thanks to Cécile that the sisters came forward asking for compensation, Tarini said, prompting the Ontario government to issue an apology and a $4-million settlement to the three surviving Dionne quintuplets in 1998 for the years they spent on display. In the rare times she'd speak out during adulthood, Cécile was a vocal advocate on the consequences of childhood fame. In 1997, Cécile, Annette and Yvonne emerged momentarily from their privacy to publish an open letter in Time magazine offering advice to the McCaughey family from Iowa after they welcomed septuplets. "We sincerely hope a lesson will be learned from examining how our lives were forever altered by our childhood experience," the sisters wrote in the letter. "Multiple births should not be confused with entertainment, nor should they be an opportunity to sell products." The Dionne quintuplets' family home has since been moved from its original site and transformed into a museum in North Bay, Ont., where the family legacy lives on. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Natasha Baldin, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Cécile Dionne, one of the famous Dionne quintuplets, dead at 91: family spokesperson
Cécile Dionne, one of the world-famous Dionne quintuplets, died earlier this week at the age of 91 following a long illness, a family spokesperson confirmed Friday. Cécile and her sisters became an instant global sensation from the moment of their birth in the Ontario community of Corbeil on May 28, 1934 as they became the first quintuplets known to survive past infancy. Carlo Tarini, a spokesperson of the family, confirmed the death and told The Canadian Press that Cécile died early Monday morning. "She lived her life with quiet dignity, exemplary discretion, and gentle humour, despite the hardships of a childhood lived in the public eye," reads an obituary Tarini shared. Cécile weighed less than two pounds when she was born and dealt with osteoporosis and other ongoing health problems related to her premature birth. She also fought COVID-19 twice, Tarini said. "She was not just a survivor, she was a real fighter. She showed remarkable strength of character," Tarini said in an interview Friday. The Dionne quintuplets were hailed as a salve to the gloom of financial austerity at the peak of their Depression-era fame — but the sisters said the attention came at a personal cost. Cécile and her sister Annette, who is now the last remaining quintuplet, spoke to The Canadian Press in 2019 and said parents should view childhood as a precious time that shouldn't be exploited for profit. When the quintuplets were only months old, the Ontario government took them away from their cash-strapped parents, who already had five children before their brood doubled overnight. The government then installed them across the street from their childhood home in a nursery-style exhibition called Quintland, where millions of tourists lined up to observe the girls sitting in a closed compound through one-way glass. The attraction became so popular that the route between Toronto and North Bay was expanded to a four-lane highway to accommodate the flood of tourists coming to visit the quintuplets, Tarini said. The girls also became ambassadors for companies such as Kellogg's and Palmolive, and had five identical ships named after them during the Second World War. When the quintuplets were 18 years old, they decided to move away from home and out of the public eye. But it was thanks to Cécile that the sisters came forward asking for compensation, Tarini said, prompting the Ontario government to issue an apology and a $4-million settlement to the three surviving Dionne quintuplets in 1998 for the years they spent on display. In the rare times she'd speak out during adulthood, Cécile was a vocal advocate on the consequences of childhood fame. In 1997, Cécile, Annette and Yvonne emerged momentarily from their privacy to publish an open letter in Time magazine offering advice to the McCaughey family from Iowa after they welcomed septuplets. "We sincerely hope a lesson will be learned from examining how our lives were forever altered by our childhood experience," the sisters wrote in the letter. "Multiple births should not be confused with entertainment, nor should they be an opportunity to sell products." The Dionne quintuplets' family home has since been moved from its original site and transformed into a museum in North Bay, Ont., where the family legacy lives on. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Natasha Baldin, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Yahoo
Cécile Dionne, one of the famous Dionne quintuplets, dead at 91: family spokesperson
Cécile Dionne, one of the world-famous Dionne quintuplets, died earlier this week at the age of 91 following a long illness, a family spokesperson confirmed Friday. Cécile and her sisters became an instant global sensation from the moment of their birth in the Ontario community of Corbeil on May 28, 1934 as they became the first quintuplets known to survive past infancy. Carlo Tarini, a spokesperson of the family, confirmed the death and told The Canadian Press that Cécile died early Monday morning. "She lived her life with quiet dignity, exemplary discretion, and gentle humour, despite the hardships of a childhood lived in the public eye," reads an obituary Tarini shared. Cécile weighed less than two pounds when she was born and dealt with osteoporosis and other ongoing health problems related to her premature birth. She also fought COVID-19 twice, Tarini said. "She was not just a survivor, she was a real fighter. She showed remarkable strength of character," Tarini said in an interview Friday. The Dionne quintuplets were hailed as a salve to the gloom of financial austerity at the peak of their Depression-era fame — but the sisters said the attention came at a personal cost. Cécile and her sister Annette, who is now the last remaining quintuplet, spoke to The Canadian Press in 2019 and said parents should view childhood as a precious time that shouldn't be exploited for profit. When the quintuplets were only months old, the Ontario government took them away from their cash-strapped parents, who already had five children before their brood doubled overnight. The government then installed them across the street from their childhood home in a nursery-style exhibition called Quintland, where millions of tourists lined up to observe the girls sitting in a closed compound through one-way glass. The attraction became so popular that the route between Toronto and North Bay was expanded to a four-lane highway to accommodate the flood of tourists coming to visit the quintuplets, Tarini said. The girls also became ambassadors for companies such as Kellogg's and Palmolive, and had five identical ships named after them during the Second World War. When the quintuplets were 18 years old, they decided to move away from home and out of the public eye. But it was thanks to Cécile that the sisters came forward asking for compensation, Tarini said, prompting the Ontario government to issue an apology and a $4-million settlement to the three surviving Dionne quintuplets in 1998 for the years they spent on display. In the rare times she'd speak out during adulthood, Cécile was a vocal advocate on the consequences of childhood fame. In 1997, Cécile, Annette and Yvonne emerged momentarily from their privacy to publish an open letter in Time magazine offering advice to the McCaughey family from Iowa after they welcomed septuplets. "We sincerely hope a lesson will be learned from examining how our lives were forever altered by our childhood experience," the sisters wrote in the letter. "Multiple births should not be confused with entertainment, nor should they be an opportunity to sell products." The Dionne quintuplets' family home has since been moved from its original site and transformed into a museum in North Bay, Ont., where the family legacy lives on. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Natasha Baldin, The Canadian Press
CBC
01-08-2025
- CBC
Cécile Dionne, one of the famous quintuplets, dead at 91
Social Sharing Cécile Dionne, one of the world-famous Dionne quintuplets, died earlier this week following a long illness. She was 91. Her death, in a Montreal hospital, was confirmed by Carlo Tarini, a former spokesperson for the family. The Dionne quintuplets became a global sensation after their birth in a small loghouse outside Corbeil, Ont., on May 28, 1934. Born prematurely, they were believed to be the first quintuplets to survive past infancy. The sisters were a source of fascination at a time when multiple births were rare, and their lives were not easy. "A symbol of an era marked by wonder, controversy, and exploitation, she lived her life with quiet dignity, exemplary discretion, and gentle humour, despite the hardships of a childhood lived in the public eye," read her obituary, shared by Tarini. "She leaves behind family members, close friends, and countless Canadians who continue to remember with emotion the extraordinary story of the 'Dionne quintuplets.'" Cécile's sister, Annette Dionne, is the lone surviving quintuplet. The Ontario government removed the quintuplets from their family when they were just four months old. The province deemed their parents unfit after agreeing to display them at the Chicago World's Fair (though they later changed their mind). In government care, the sisters were moved into a special nursery and observatory called Quintland, with scheduled viewing times for the public. In Quintland, the girls were tended to by a team of nurses and were put on display for thousands of curious tourists. According to Tarini, the sisters attracted more than six million visitors between 1934 and 1943. "Sometimes, as many as 6,000 people a day would pass by. This allowed for the construction of a multi-lane highway to reach the deep woods in northern Ontario," he said, adding that they "helped create a tourism industry of hotels and accommodations that still exists today." Tarini said the quintuplets were "more popular as a tourist attraction" than the Niagara Falls. The girls' parents, Oliva and Elizire Dionne, won them back when they were nine after a bitter custody battle, though their experience with them was also difficult. In past interviews, some of the sisters alleged their father was abusive. In 1998, the three surviving sisters received an apology and a $4-million settlement from the Ontario government for its role in mismanaging a trust fund meant to support them. In a 2017 interview with CBC, as she fought to preserve her childhood home, Cécile reflected on the challenges the quintuplets faced. "We went through many things," she said, explaining that although she and Annette have some fond memories of Quintland, it was no way for children to grow up. "We didn't feel free," she said. "It's not normal for a human to be watched like that all the time."
