A painting of Chang and Eng Bunker, circa 1836

Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811–January 17, 1874) were the conjoined twin brothers whose condition and birthplace became the basis for the term "Siamese twins." Chang & Eng Bunker (1835 or 1836) - public domain The image featured above is an original watercolor on ivory depicting the twins, and it was painted by an unidentified French or Dutch artist in Paris between December, 1835 and March, 1836. ... Chang & Eng Bunker (1835 or 1836) - public domain The image featured above is an original watercolor on ivory depicting the twins, and it was painted by an unidentified French or Dutch artist in Paris between December, 1835 and March, 1836. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the US Federal Agent designation, see Special agent. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A painting of Chang and Eng Bunker, circa 1836 Siamese twins redirects here. ...

Biography

The Bunker brothers were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (now Thailand), in the province of Samutsongkram, to a Chinese fisherman (Ti-eye)^[1] and a half-Chinese/half-Malay mother (Nok).^[2] They were joined at the sternum by a small piece of cartilage. Their livers were fused but independently complete. Although 19th century medicine did not have the means to do so, modern surgical techniques would have easily allowed them to be separated today. 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 naturalized United States citizens. For the country formerly called Siam see Thailand SIAM is an acronym for Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. ... Samut Songkhram (Thai สมุทรสงคราม) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The sternum (from Greek στέρνον, sternon, chest) or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ... Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. ... For the bird, see Liver bird. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891), American showman who is best remembered for his entertaining hoaxes and for founding the circus that eventually became Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. ... A judge swears in a new citizen. ...

The Bunkers in their later years.

Determined to start living a normal life as much as possible, the brothers settled on a plantation, bought slaves, and adopted the name "Bunker." They were accepted as respected members of the community. On April 13, 1843, they married two sisters: Chang to Adelaide Yates and Eng to Sarah Anne Yates. Chang and his wife had ten children; Eng and his wife had twelve. In time, the wives squabbled and eventually two separate households were set up just west of Mount Airy, North Carolina in the community of White Plains – the twins would alternate spending three days at each home. During the American Civil War Chang's son Christopher and Eng's son Stephen both fought for the Confederacy. Many of their descendants still live in the Mount Airy area. The twins died on the same day in 1874. Chang, who had been in declining health for several years, died first; Eng expired several hours later. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about crop plantations. ... Slave sale in Easton, Maryland The history of slavery in the United States (1619-1865) began soon after the English colonists first settled in Virginia and lasted until the passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. ... White Plains is a census-designated place located in Surry County, North Carolina. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government...

Legacy

The fused liver of the Bunker brothers is currently preserved and on display at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Numerous references about the twins, including some of their personal artifacts and their travel ledger, are preserved in the North Carolina Collection Gallery in Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The original watercolor portrait of Chang and Eng from 1836 is also preserved in the North Carolina Collection Gallery. The best-selling and multiple-award-winning 2000 novel, Chang and Eng, by Darin Strauss, was based on the life of the famous Bunker twins. The movie rights to the novel were purchased by award winning filmmaking team Gary Oldman and Douglas Urbanski. Oldman is currently working on the screenplay and will also direct.^[3] In addition, "The Wedding of the Siamese Twins" by Burton Cohen, a play detailing the intimate and often amusing lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, is scheduled to be performed annually at the Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mount Airy, NC. Currently slated to star in the upcoming performances are actor Brandon Lloyd Hicks, who will be playing Chang Bunker, and Joel Frady, who will be playing Eng Bunker. In 1996 BBC Radio 4 broadcast a 90-minute radio play called "United States" about the lives and deaths of Chang and Eng Bunker. Writer was Tony Coult and director Andy Jordan. Transmission was on June 17, with a cast that included Bert Kwouk and Ozzy Youe as the twins. Interior of the Mütter Museum The Mütter Museum is a museum of medical oddities, antique medical equipment and biological specimens located in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Darin Strauss Darin Strauss (born March 1, 1970) is an American writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Both of his novels were The New York Times Notable Books; Strauss is a 2006 recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and he currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. ... Gary Leonard Oldman[1] (born March 21, 1958) is an English film actor, writer and director. ... Douglas Urbanski (born 17 February 1957 in Somerville, New Jersey) is a theatre impresario, raconteur and film producer. ...

References

• Pages 27-28 and 81, The Chinese in America: A Narrative History, Iris Chang, Viking, 2003, hardcover, 496 pages, ISBN 0-670-03123-2
• Adapted from the Internet-Encyclopedia article, "Chang and Eng Bunker" www.internet-encyclopedia.org -- Chang and Eng Bunker July 8, 2003

1. ^ Iris Chang. The Chinese in America: A Narrative History. Penguin Group, 27. 
2. ^ Calisota online
3. ^ Whirling upstream in Hollywood: Douglas Urbanski

Iris Chang This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhang Iris Shun-Ru Chang (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhāng Chúnrú; March 28, 1968 – November 9, 2004) was a Chinese American freelance historian and journalist. ... Iris Chang This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhang Iris Shun-Ru Chang (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhāng Chúnrú; March 28, 1968 – November 9, 2004) was a Chinese American freelance historian and journalist. ... Penguin Group is the second largest trade book publisher in the world. ...

Further reading

• The Two: The Story of the Original Siamese Twins, Amy and Irving Wallace, Simon & Schuster, 1978, hardcover, ISBN 0-671-22627-4
• Eng & Chang: The Original Siamese Twins, David R. Collins, Silver Burdett Press, 1994, paperback, ISBN 0-382-24719-1; hardcover, ISBN 0-87518-602-5
• Chang and Eng: A Novel, Darin Strauss, Dutton, 2000, paperback, ISBN 0-452-28109-1; hardcover, ISBN 0-525-94512-1

Darin Strauss Darin Strauss (born March 1, 1970) is an American writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Both of his novels were The New York Times Notable Books; Strauss is a 2006 recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and he currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. ...

See also

• Human zoo
• God's Fool by Mark Slouka

Human Zoo (Völkerschau) in Stuttgart (Germany) in 1928 For other uses, see Human zoo (disambiguation). ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Chang and Eng Bunker

• website
• Chang and Eng Bunker at findagrave
• Watercolor of the twins and short biography
• Papers of the twins in the archives of the University of North Carolina
• Biography from Wilkesboro.com
• A Hyphenated Life - detailed story in Blue Ridge Country Magazine