The Quintuplets

When Elzire Dionne gave birth to five identical babies in Ontario, she caught the attention of reporters hundreds of miles away – and the attention of the legislature. The welfare minister said, “These children are our own royal family.”

Episode 357 of the Criminal podcast, hosted by Vox Media Podcast Network, titled "The Quintuplets" was published on March 20, 2026 and runs 54 minutes.

March 20, 2026 ·54m · Criminal

Summary

When Elzire Dionne gave birth to five identical babies, she caught the attention of reporters and doctors hundreds of miles away, the Chicago World’s Fair – and the Ontario government. Before the quintuplets were ten months old, they passed a new law: the Dionne Quintuplet Guardianship Act. “These children are our own royal family.”  Sarah Miller’s book is The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets. Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Description