Chang and Eng Bunker
Chang Bunker and
Eng Bunker (
May 11,
1811 -
January 17,
1874), born in
Siam (now
Thailand), to their parents Ti-eye and Nok, were the twin brothers whose condition and birthplace became the basis for the term
Siamese twins, a synonym for "congenitally joined twins". They were joined at the side by what was discovered after their death in 1874 to be only a superficial connection involving skin tissue. Today they would easily be separated by
surgery. In 1829, they were discovered in Siam by British merchant Robert Hunter and exhibited as a curiosity during a world tour. Upon termination of their contract with their discoverer, they successfully went into business for themselves. In 1839, while visiting
Wilkesboro, North Carolina with
P. T. Barnum, the twins were attracted to the town and settled there, becoming
United States citizens.
The Bunkers settled on a plantation, bought slaves, and adopted the name "Bunker" and were accepted as respected members of the community. On April 13, 1843, they married sisters. Chang and Adelaide (Yates) Bunker, went on to have 10 children: Eng and Sallie (Yates) Bunker had 11. In time their wives squabbled and eventually two separate households were set up. The twins died on the same day in 1874.
Further reading
- The Two: The Story of the Original Siamese Twins, Amy and Irving Wallace, Simon & Schuster, 1978, hardcover, ISBN 0671226274
- Eng & Chang: The Original Siamese Twins, David R. Collins, Silver Burdett Press, 1994, paperback, ISBN 0382247191; hardcover, ISBN 0875186025
External links
References