World's Oldest Conjoined Twins: Ronnie & Donnie Galyon

Ronnie and Donnie Galyon were born at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, on October 28, 1951, to Wesley and Eileen Galyon. They were born as conjoined twins even though Eileen was not expecting twins at the time. They are joined from the sternum to the groin and share a set of organs, so they cannot be separated.


According to the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records, the Galyons are the oldest living set of conjoined twins in the world. They have never been to a “normal” school because it was feared that they would cause a distraction. With nine children to support, their father, Wesley, made the difficult decision to take the twins on the road as a sideshow attraction.


In accordance with wikipedia, the boys were exhibited in sideshows throughout their childhood in the US and later in Latin America. Their tours made them celebrities and brought them fame and - comparative - fortune, with which they were able to support the rest of their family. In 1991, after three decades of work, the pair retired and moved into their first independent home.