Chang and Eng Bunker
| Chang and Eng Bunker | |
|---|---|
A painting of Chang (right) and Eng Bunker (left), circa 1836
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| Born |
May 11, 1811 Samutsongkram, Siam (now Thailand) |
| Died | January 17, 1874 (aged 62) Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Cause of death |
Stroke Heart attack |
| Resting place | White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery |
| Citizenship | Siamese American |
| Occupation | Thai family |
| Years active | 1834-1874 |
| Known for | Basis of term "Siamese twins" |
| Spouse(s) |
Adelaide Yates (m. 1843–74) (Chang) Sarah Anne Yates (m. 1843–74) (Eng) |
| Children | 11 (Chang) 10 (Eng) |
Chang (pinyin: Chāng; rtgs: Chan) and Eng (pinyin: Ēn; rtgs: In) Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Thai-American conjoined twin brothers whose condition and birthplace became the basis for the term "Siamese twins".
The Bunker brothers were born on May 11, 1811, in the province of Samutsongkram, near Bangkok, in the Kingdom of Siam (today's Thailand). Their fisherman father was a Chinese Thai, while their mother, Nok, (rtgs: Nak) was half-Chinese and half-Malay. Because of their Chinese heritage, they were known locally as the "Chinese Twins". The brothers were joined at the sternum by a small piece of cartilage, and though their livers were fused, they were independently complete.
In 1829, Robert Hunter, a Scottish merchant who lived in Bangkok, saw the twins swimming and realized their potential. He paid their parents to permit him to exhibit their sons as a curiosity on a world tour. When their contract with Hunter was over, Chang and Eng went into business for themselves. In 1839, while visiting Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the brothers were attracted to the area and purchased a 110-acre (0.45 km2) farm in nearby Traphill.
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