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According to a circulating story:

In the 1930s in Detroit in the USA an extraordinary coincidence occurred with a person named Joseph Figlock.

Jami Frater mentioned describes the case in his The Ultimate Book of Top Ten Lists:

On the first occasion, Figlock was walking down the street when the baby fell from a window many stories above. Fortunately, the baby fell on Figlock who managed to catch it – neither was hurt. One year later, the very same baby fell from the very same window; a certain Joseph Figlock (the very same one in fact) happened to be passing beneath the window and, for the second time in his life, he caught the baby as it fell".

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That version has some mistakes:

In Detroit, year ago, Street Sweeper Joseph Figlock was furbishing up an alley when a baby plopped down from a fourth-story window, struck him on the head and shoulders, injured Joseph Figlock and itself but was not killed. Last fortnight, as Joseph Figlock was sweeping out another alley, two-year-old David Thomas fell from a fourth-story window, landed on ubiquitous Mr. Figlock with the same results.

Time Magazine 17 October 1938

alternative link

So he didn't catch the babies, he and the babies were hurt, and windows were different, and the babies were different.

Further details of both incidents are in the 28 September 1938 Detroit Free Press. The first baby was a girl, the second was David Glenn Thomas of 77 E. Canfield Ave. David had a fractured arm, thigh and shoulder, and injured skull.

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  • Though to quibble about English usage, I wouldn't call a two year old a baby.
    – jamesqf
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 18:47
  • @jamesqf the Detroit Free Press used the terms "child", "baby" and "boy".
    – DavePhD
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 18:53

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