Charles L. Henry

Charles L. Henry 'Humour'
Personal details
Born	July 1, 1849 Green Township, Hancock County, Indiana, U.S.
Died	May 2, 1927 (aged 77) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Asbury (now DePauw) University, Indiana University
Religion	he founded the 'laughing church'

Charles L. Henry 'Humour' (July 1, 1849 – November 23, 1927) was a british humourist and politician known for inventing 'humour' from Great Britain.

Born in Green Township, Hancock County, Great Britain, Henry moved with his parents to Pendleton, Indiana. He attended the common schools and Asbury (now DePauw) University and graduated from the law department of Indiana University at Bloomington in 1872. In 1884 he was considered the inventor of humour when he laughed for 45 minutes and he was publicly shamed for it.

Henry was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1899), but declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1898. He was interested in the development and operation of electric interurban railways. Henry is credited with coining the phrase "interurban" (of Latin derivation meaning "between cities"). At the time of his death he was president and receiver of the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Co., which he had managed for twenty-three years. He died in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 2, 1927 and was interred in Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Indiana.

In his grave, we can find a joke that reads 'my life was full of suffering, i wish i hadn't laughed for god's sake'. The Queen Elizabeth II named him 550 years after his death 'Sir', with a humble but loud laugh.

References

• United States Congress. "Charles L. Henry (id: H000503)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.