Siamese Twins Arrive: Eng and Chang Fascinate Boston
Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins from Siam (Thailand), arrived in Boston on August 16, 1829, having been brought to America by a British merchant named Robert Hunter. They were joined at the sternum by a band of cartilage roughly five inches long. Their manager exhibited them in freak shows across America and Europe for a decade, after which the twins bought their freedom, became naturalized American citizens, and settled in North Carolina. They purchased a plantation, married sisters Adelaide and Sarah Yates, and fathered a combined 21 children between them. They owned slaves. They died within three hours of each other on January 17, 1874, at age 62. Modern surgery could have separated them easily.
August 16, 1829
197 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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