DID YOU KNOW THE JAPANESE WORD FOR TWINS IS FUTAJO ?

The average duration of a normal singleton pregnancy is 282 days.
In a twin pregnancy it is 258 days.

One animal consistently produces quadruplets. Some scientists believe studying this creature offers the best way to help discover why (in humans) an egg divides to produce identical twins.
That animal is: The Texas 9-banded Armadillo.

Eli Shadrack and John Meshark Phipps
(born Feb. 14, 1803 or 1812 in Abingdon, Virginia, USA)
The Guinness Book of Records lists the Phipps Twins as the oldest surviving twins ever claiming that Eli died on February 23, 1911, living to be 108 years, 9 days and that John died on December 10, 1916, living to be 113 years, 300 days.
*There is doubt raised on this claim. The genealogy links indicate the Phipps Twins were born in 1812, meaning Eli died at age 99 and John lived to be 104. If that's true, than the Kanie Twins (see below) of Japan were the oldest-living twins ever and the Moyer Twins, Dale and Glen, are actually the longest-living male twins ever, each living to be at least 105 years old.

Glen and Dale Moyer
(born Jan. 24, 2000 in USA)
Dale and Glen Moyer,who each turned 105 on June 20, 2000, were verified by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest set of living twins after the passing of Kin Norita in January, 2000. Glen Moyer passed away on April 16, 2001 at the age of 105 years, nine months and 26 days. He was survived by his twin brother, Dale, who celebrated his 109th birthday on June 20, 2004! Both men served in World War I. Dale lives in a house next to his daughter's home in Alvorton, Ohio. A retired farmer, he was teaching Sunday School until he was 99. He and his wife Mary celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in 1985 before she passed away the following year. Glen lived with his wife Mabel in a retirement home in Greenville, Ohio, until they both passed away within a year of each other. He was a former school principal and pastor.

Kin Narita and Gin Kanie
(born August 1, 1892 in Nagoya, Japan)
Twin sisters, Kin and Gin, celebrated their 107th birthdays in 1999 before Kin passed away at age 107 years, 5 months and 22 days on January 23, 2000. Gin celebrated her 108th birthday in August, 2000 and died peacefully in her sleep on February 28, 2001 at the age of 108 years, 6 months, 28 days. By the way, Kin (who was the older of the two sisters) means gold and Gin means silver in Japanese. They are the only twins to ever each live to be at least 107 years old.

Alice (Lindsay) and Eugenia (Collins) Smith
(born March 31, 1893 in Tarraville, Gippsland, Australia)
The Smith Twins set a new record for longest combined lives of twins with 216 years+. Kin and Gin each lived to be 107 and lived a combined 216 years, 20 days, but Eugenia (105 years, 6 months, 8 days) and Alice (111 years, 92 days) lived to a combined 216 years, 9 months, 9 days, before Alice Lindsay succombed in her sleep on July 1, 2004. Alice was the oldest-living person in Australia at the time of her death. The Smith Twins were identical and grew up on a dairy farm in Australia with five other siblings.

Maria and Enrico Appiani
(born in Traona, Sondrio, Italy on July 23, 1900)
It is believed they are the current oldest-living twins in the world. They are male/female twins still living in Traona, Sondrio, Italy (extreme northern part of Italy). Recently they celebrated their 104th birthdays. The party was held in the retirement home where Maria resides. Her twin brother is in remarkable health and maintains his own home and still performs daily work in the vineyards of Northern Italy!

Lena and Thilda Vangstad
(born in Osakis, Minnesota on July 29, 1901)
Lena and Thilda Vangstad of Minnesota each turned 103 on July 29, 2004 and it is believed they are now perhaps the oldest surviving twins in the United States as well as the oldest living identical twins. They live together at a senior assisted living center in Osakis, Minnesota and are both still in good health.

Louise Dilworth and Lucy Turner
Born 11/11/1901, Tallahassee, Florida
Recently celebrated their 103rd birthday. They are still living at home with their mother/niece who is their caregiver.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TWINS

3.Twin Scholarship Program
Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College
200 I Street NE, Miami, OK 74354
Contact: Karen Key, Asst. Director, Financial Aid, (918) 540-6244
Free room scholarships for twins.
For more information contact the number above.