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nOncenevery 100,000 births or so twins are born with bodies that arenjoined. These conjoined twins may share internal organs and may ornmay not be surgically separated.
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Thenfirst case of such twins widely known were the brothers Chang andnEng, who were born to Chinese parents in what was then called Siamn(now called Thailand). Back then, it was not possible to safelynseparate the two boys, so they grew up attached at the chest with anpiece of cartilage. Their two livers were also joined.
Thenfirst case of such twins widely known were the brothers Chang andnEng, who were born to Chinese parents in what was then called Siamn(now called Thailand). Back then, it was not possible to safelynseparate the two boys, so they grew up attached at the chest with anpiece of cartilage. Their two livers were also joined.n
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Whennthe brothers were 18 years old, they were swimmingn(together—obviously, they had to do almost everything together),nand a British merchant saw them. He paid the boys and their family tontake the twins on a world tour, to be exhibited as a curiosity. n
Whennthe brothers were 18 years old, they were swimmingn(together—obviously, they had to do almost everything together),nand a British merchant saw them. He paid the boys and their family tontake the twins on a world tour, to be exhibited as a curiosity. nn
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nEventuallyntheir contract with the merchant ran out, and Chang and Eng decidednto move permanently to the United States. They bought a farm in NorthnCarolina, took the last name “Bunker,” and became U.S. citizens.nThey bought some slaves to work the farm, and they even married twonsisters! Between them, Chang and Eng had ten children, some of whomnended up fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
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BecausenChang and Eng were so famous, conjoined twins have often been calledn“Siamese twins,” even though of course other conjoined twins werenborn elsewhere. Interestingly enough, when they were in Siam, thentwins were called “the Chinese twins” because of their Chinesenparents.
BecausenChang and Eng were so famous, conjoined twins have often been calledn“Siamese twins,” even though of course other conjoined twins werenborn elsewhere. Interestingly enough, when they were in Siam, thentwins were called “the Chinese twins” because of their Chinesenparents.n
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nAlsonon this date:
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nSongwriter Irving Berlin’s birthday
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nAnniversary of the first printed book (maybe)
