Top 10 Facts About the Original Siamese Twins
Chang and Eng Bunker were born into a peasant family in Meklong, Siam (now Thailand), in 1811.
A five-inch band of cartilage and flesh joined the twins together. If born today, the twins could have been easily separated with existing medical technology.
The names Chang and Eng are Siamese for "right" and "left," the only way the family could tell them apart.
In 1829, Robert Hunter, a Scottish merchant, and Abel Coffin, a New England captain, persuaded the twins to come to the United States. After spending the next few years on exhibit in front of enormous crowds, the twins hooked up with master showman P.T. Barnum. During their shows, the twins fascinated audiences by doing somersaults, back-flips and other stupid human tricks.
In 1836, the twins filed for citizenship at the naturalization office in New York City. They were told that the application couldn't be processed without a surname. A stranger named Fred Bunker, who was standing in line, offered his name to the twins.
Tired of the rigorous life on the road, Chang and Eng settled in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in 1837, where they soon became successful farmers. In fact, they were among the first farmers in the state to grow brightleaf tobacco.
In 1843, the twins married the Yates sisters, Sarah and Adelaide, the daughters of a neighboring farmer. The marriage caused quite a scandal in the surrounding community, but the twins eventually became well accepted by their neighbors.
Believe it or not, Eng and Sarah had 10 children, and Chang and Adelaide had 12 children. The twins built separate houses for their families. They spent three days in one house and three days in the other.
The Civil War destroyed the twins' fortunes and they were forced to go on tour again for Barnum, who they disliked immensely. In 1874, Chang, who had suffered a major stroke two years earlier, developed a severe case of bronchitis and died on a cold January morning. Eng died a couple of hours later. The twins were 63 years old.
Chang and Eng were buried in a large tin coffin in the White Plains Church cemetery, located about six miles South of Mt. Airy ("Mayberry" to fans of the "Andy Griffith Show") off U.S. 601.