Chang and Eng Bunker were conjoined twin brothers born in Siam, now Thailand, on May 11, 1811. They became the best-known “Siamese twins,” a term that came from their fame, and later settled in North Carolina, where they married sisters, had 21 children between them, and lived as farmers as well as public curiosities.wikipedia+1
They were born in the Mekong/Meklong area of Siam to a family of mixed Chinese and Siamese background, though sources differ on the exact details of their parentage. They were joined at the sternum by a short band of flesh and cartilage, with fused livers, but otherwise had separate bodies and were physically active as children.wikipedia+2
In 1829, when they were teenagers, they were brought to the United States and exhibited widely in tours across Boston, New York, London, and elsewhere. Their fame made them major 19th-century celebrities, and they were among the most studied people of their era.wikipedia+2
They eventually settled in Mount Airy, North Carolina, became naturalized U.S. citizens, adopted the surname Bunker, and married sisters Adelaide and Sarah Yates in 1843. The two households lived separately, and the twins rotated between them in three-day stays.wikipedia+1
They lost much of their wealth after the Civil War and went on one last tour in Europe in 1869. Chang died first, and Eng died hours later in January 1874; an autopsy found that their livers were fused. Their story left a lasting mark on popular language and medical history, especially through the term “Siamese twins”.wikipedia+1
Chang and Eng are historically important not just because they were famous conjoined twins, but because their lives show the mix of exploitation, celebrity, family life, and adaptation in the 19th century. Their biography is one of the most cited cases in the history of conjoined twins and American show business.wikipedia+2