A man who loved practical jokes pulled off his most elaborate and lasting prank after his death. Charles Vance Millar, a well-known and wealthy Canadian lawyer passed away at the age of 73 on October 31, 1926. His death on
Halloween seemed oddly fitting for a man who delighted in playful pranks, but his final act left an unforgettable impression on his country's history. In his will, Millar created a peculiar social experiment. With no immediate heirs or close relatives to inherit his substantial fortune, which amounted to over $10 million in today's Canadian currency, he promised the bulk of his wealth to the
Toronto family that could produce the most children within ten years following his death. READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Doctors told me I was being dramatic over symptoms - seven years later I got terrifying diagnosis Competitors in Millar Will - Mr.and Mrs. Arthur Hollis Timleck with their 14 children Millar might have thought he was clever, but he probably didn't think about what would happen to the families who didn't win or the Great Depression that soon followed. The audacious challenge sparked a frenzy among families in Toronto, particularly against the backdrop of the Great Depression, which had plunged many into financial hardship. Dubbed the "Stork Derby" by local newspapers, the competition captured the public's imagination and became a topic of widespread fascination. Families strategized on ways to maximize their fertility amidst the economic downturn and limited medical knowledge of the time. Millar sparked a frenzy known as the Stork Derby during the Great Depression Conceiving a child can be challenging, particularly for new mothers. Jane Frederick, the medical director of HRC Fertility, a clinic located in Orange County,
California, told FiveThirtyEight that the chances of getting pregnant again depend on "if she breastfeeds and how much time her uterus is given to recover." In 1932, four years before the ten-year deadline, the Ontario government attempted to revoke the will and transfer the money to the University of Toronto. However, due to a significant public uproar, with the Toronto Daily Star denouncing the government's actions as "communism in the raw," the government ultimately retracted its claim. The family with the most babies in ten years would inherit Millar's wealth As the years passed, the Derby evolved into a highly contested race, with numerous families vying for Millar's fortune by welcoming many children. Eventually, more than two dozen families in Toronto had at least eight babies in ten years. But the contest also had its sad side - some families lived in poverty, and some babies even died. Mrs. Arthur Hollis Timleck claimed to have given birth to 16 children; nine of them born since October 1926 For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the
USA, go to The Mirror US Legal battles ensued over the interpretation of Millar's will and the eligibility of contestants to claim the prize. When it came time to distribute Millar's fortune, only a few families qualified, and some mothers who had more than nine kids were still denied a share. Despite attempts to challenge the validity of the contest, courts ultimately upheld Millar's eccentric bequest. Mr. and Mrs. W. J. O'Connor, parents of Mrs. John Nagle, one of the contestants In the end, six families were awarded shares of the estate, while others received settlements far less than the coveted fortune promised by Millar. The aftermath of the Stork Derby left a lasting legacy, highlighting the complexities of wealth, fertility, and social dynamics in early 20th-century
Canada . Despite being initially intended as a joke, Millar's unconventional inheritance . Follow the Mirror US News page on
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