Comedian Red Skelton is surrounded by clowns of the Clyde Beatty Circus, giving him a helping hand as he puts on a big nose, in Los Angeles, Calif., in June 1946. (AP Photo)
Comedian Soupy Sales demonstrates his serious side by installing a placard in a bus urging teenagers to stay in school, Sept. 25, 1962, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)
Larry Harmon performs as Bozo The Clown in this undated photo. Bozo was born 50 years ago, and is now recognized as the world's most famous clown. (AP Photo/HO)
Ronald McDonald participates in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, in New York. (Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
Jack Nicholson stars as the maniacal Joker in Warner Brothers' epic action-adventure film :Batman." June 1989 photo. (AP Photo/Herb Ritts)
The infamous Harley Quinn character from Batman at the Legendary Entertainment booth at Comic-Con International 2013. (Jeff Bottari/Invision for LG/AP Images)
Krusty the Clown inhales willing visitors to The Simpson's Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Brandon De Hoyos/abc13.com)
The profile photo from Gags - The Green Bay Clown Facebook page (Gags - The Green Bay Clown Facebook Page)
We're celebrating (and/or cringing about) the most famous clowns in entertainment and news with a photo gallery about these popular, wisecracking or freaky circus acts