Chang and Eng Bunker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chang and Eng Bunker
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Eng (viewer's left) and Chang in later years
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| Born | May 11, 1811 Samut Songkhram, Rattanakosin Kingdom (Siam)
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| Died | (aged 62) |
| Cause of death | Chang: cerebral blood clot Eng: fright |
| Resting place | White Plains Baptist Church, Mount Airy, N.C. |
| Years active | 1829–1870 |
| Known for | Exhibitions as curiosities, and known as the original "Siamese twins" |
| Spouse(s) | Chang: Adelaide Yates Eng: Sarah Yates (both m. 1843) |
| Children | Chang: 10 Eng: 11 |
Chang (pinyin: Chāng; RTGS: Chan) and Eng (pinyin: Ēn; RTGS: In) Bunker (born May 11, 1811 – died January 17, 1874) were famous conjoined twin brothers. They were born in Siam (now Thailand). Their unique condition and birthplace led to the well-known term "Siamese twins."
The brothers, who had Chinese family roots, came to the United States in 1829. Doctors examined them as they became known to people in America and Europe. They often appeared in "freak shows" where people paid to see unusual things. At first, newspapers and the public felt sorry for them. But within three years, they started managing their own tours.
In 1839, after ten years of earning a lot of money, the twins stopped touring. They settled near Mount Airy, North Carolina. They became American citizens and bought land. They also married two local sisters and had 21 children together. Some of their children even joined them when they started touring again later. Chang's and Eng's families lived in separate houses. The twins would take turns staying at each house for three days at a time. After the American Civil War, they lost some of their money. Chang died at age 62, and Eng passed away just a few hours later.
Contents
Early Life and Journey
Chang and Eng Bunker were born on May 11, 1811. Their birthplace was in the province of Samutsongkram. This area is near Bangkok, in the Kingdom of Siam (which is now Thailand). Their father was a fisherman of Chinese Thai background. Their mother, Nok (RTGS: Nak), was half-Chinese and half-Malay.
The brothers were joined at their sternum, which is the bone in the middle of the chest. They were connected by a small piece of cartilage. Their livers were also joined, but each twin had a complete liver that worked on its own.
In 1829, a Scottish merchant named Robert Hunter lived in Bangkok. He saw the twins swimming and realized they could be famous. He paid their parents to let him show their sons to people around the world. After their agreement with Hunter ended, Chang and Eng decided to manage their own business.
In 1839, the brothers visited Wilkesboro, North Carolina. They liked the area and bought a 110-acre (0.45 km2) farm in nearby Traphill.
Family Life and Citizenship
Chang and Eng wanted to live as normal a life as possible. They settled on their small farms and became landowners. They also had people working on their farms. They used their adopted last name, "Bunker." On April 13, 1843, they married local women. Chang married Adelaide Yates (1823–1917), and Eng married her sister, Sarah Anne (1822–1892). The twins also became naturalized American citizens.
Chang and Adelaide had twelve children. Eng and Sarah had ten children.
Later Years and Passing
In 1870, Chang had a stroke. His health slowly got worse over the next four years. Even though his brother was sick, Eng stayed healthy. Shortly before he died, Chang was hurt when he fell from a carriage. He then got a serious lung illness called bronchitis.
On January 17, 1874, Chang died while the brothers were asleep. Eng woke up and found his brother had passed away. He cried, "Then I am going." A doctor was called to try to separate them quickly, but it was too late. Eng died about three hours later.
Doctors later studied the twins' bodies. They found that the twins' livers were joined by a thin piece of liver tissue. It was decided that the twins could not have been safely separated. They would have lost too much blood from such an operation.
Sarah Anne Bunker (Eng's wife) died on April 29, 1892. Adelaide Bunker (Chang's wife) died on May 21, 1917.
Legacy and Impact
- The preserved joined livers of the Bunker brothers are on display. You can see them at the Mütter Museum. A plaster model of their bodies after death is also there.
- Many items belonging to the twins are shown at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These include some of their personal things and a book where they kept track of their travels.
- The famous writer Mark Twain wrote a short story called The Siamese Twins. It was based on the lives of Chang and Eng.
- In 1996, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a play about the twins. It was called United States.
- A musical from Singapore is based on the twins' lives. It is called Chang & Eng. It first opened in 1997 and has been performed in many places in Asia.
- The popular book Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss was published in 2000. It tells the story of the famous Bunker twins.
- A play called I Dream of Chang and Eng was written by Bay Area playwright Philip Kan Gotanda. It was performed at UC Berkeley in 2011.
- In The Greatest Showman, a 2017 movie about the Barnum & Bailey Circus, actors Danial Son and Yusaku Komori played the twins.
Descendants Today
Chang and Eng Bunker had a total of 21 children. Today, their descendants number more than 1,500 people. Many of their family members still live near Mount Airy, North Carolina. Descendants from both brothers continue to have family reunions together. In July 2011, two hundred descendants met in Mount Airy. This was to celebrate the twins' 200th birthday and their 22nd yearly family reunion.
Some well-known descendants include:
- United States Air Force Major General Caleb V. Haynes was a grandson of Chang Bunker.
- General Haynes's son, Vance Haynes, became a scientist who studied the Earth. He helped figure out when humans first came to North America.
- Alex Sink, who used to be the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, is a great-granddaughter of Chang Bunker.
- Eng's grandson, George F. Ashby, was the President of the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1940s.
- Chang's son, Christopher Wren Bunker, built Haystack Farm. This farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
- Composer Caroline Shaw is a great-great-granddaughter of Chang Bunker. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013.
Other Famous Conjoined Twins
Images for kids
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Colored picture of the young twins
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Early reports called them "young boys," a label they tried to change.
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Promotional picture
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Oil painting by Édouard Pingret, 1836
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The Bunkers, their wives, 18 children, and Grace Gates, one of the people who worked for them.
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"The Political 'Siamese' Twins, the Offspring of Chicago Miscegenation":
This cartoon from 1864 shows two politicians with different ideas. -
After the Civil War, people in the North were not as welcoming to the twins.
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Family portrait by Mathew Brady, around 1865: (Left to Right) Sarah, her son Patrick Henry, Eng, Chang, his son Albert, Adelaide
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Three political cartoons referencing "the Siamese Youths" by William Heath, 1830
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See also
In Spanish: Chang y Eng para niños
