38 | 100 The show of destiny
Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hiltonfrom the series 100 Photos - 100 Stories
Daisy and Violet Hilton were one of the most famous girls of the 20s. But what made them so special?
Siamese twins - a biological phenomenon
Even in the early years, the fate of the two was turned into a show - and fate is not meant negatively here! Daisy and Violet Hilton were conjoined at the hips and buttocks and shared a blood circulation. Biologically, this is known as a double malformation, as identical twins do not separate from each other at a certain stage of development, but remain connected after fertilization. This phenomenon is extremely rare, as most conjoined twins die prenatally, i.e. before birth. But in the case of Daisy and Violet Hilton, they were born alive and made great things of it!
Their mother presented them in exhibitions as a sensation - in 1906 perhaps still a sensation - today seen as immoral. Years later, they were repeatedly presented at fairs. In the meantime, the two of them learned to play instruments in order to separate themselves a little mentally. They separated from their mother, or rather their family at the time, as they wanted to continue their show career themselves. They appeared in several television shows and enjoyed show life. They were refused a marriage license in 21 American states because they were so special. They both died at the end of their careers due to influenza in 1969, having survived a full 61 years with their biological phenomenon!
