About Mary Ann Bevan
Mary Ann Bevan (née Webster; 20 December 1874 – 26 December 1933) was an English nurse and sideshow performer. After developing acromegaly, she became internationally known in the 1920s and 1930s for being exhibited as "the ugliest woman in the world" in American sideshows. Born into a working-class family in Plaistow, East London, Bevan worked as a nurse before marrying Thomas Bevan in 1902. Following the onset of acromegaly and her husband's death in 1914, she entered and won an "Ugliest Woman" contest in order to support her four children. In 1920, she was recruited by American showman Samuel W. Gumpertz to perform at Dreamland at Coney Island, later appearing with the Ringling Brothers Circus while also working as a nurse. Bevan decided to capitalize on her appearance and entered an "Ugliest Woman" contest, which she won. Thomas Bevan died suddenly in 1914.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.