June and Jennifer Gibbons, identical twins, were born on April 11, 1963, in a military hospital in Aden, Yemen, while their father served in the Royal Air Force.
They came to the UK with their parents, Gloria and Aubrey Gibbons, from Barbados. Their births and early years were ordinary, but their parents discovered they were different from other girls not long before they reached the age of speaking.
They were unusually close and late in speaking. His family claimed that they both had a speech impairment that made it difficult to understand them. Their parents had to guess what the twins were trying to say, and after a few years, they had developed their own unique language that only they understood.
They were the only black students in school, and as a result, they were subjected to constant bullying, which seemed to strengthen their bond. In 1976, a doctor came to the school to administer tuberculosis vaccinations to the children. June and Jennifer’s strange behavior and lack of emotion when receiving the injection shocked him, so he informed the school’s headmaster.
The doctor refused to give up and pushed that the girls be enrolled in therapy, despite the headmaster’s assurances.
They wouldn’t talk to anyone.
They refused to speak to anyone after consulting multiple psychotherapists and psychologists. Ann Treharne, a speech therapist, didn’t meet the twins until February 1977, and they made considerable progress.
Although she was unable to communicate with the girls, they agreed to have their chats recorded if they were left alone. Treharne deduced from the recordings that their secret language was a combination of English and a sped-up version of Barbadian creole.
During their sessions, Ane Treharne got the idea that June wanted to talk to her but was afraid of Jennifer telling her she couldn’t.
Their parents agreed to separate the girls the following year in order to test whether this would cause them to open up, but the experiment failed. The twins became even more cut off from the outside world, refusing to eat, dress, and spend most of their time in bed.
The physicians had no choice but to reconnect them, only for them to resume their silent behavior. They wrote letters to their parents to speak with them.
At the age of 16, the twins dropped out of school. They used to makeup stories with their dolls, read a lot of books and enjoy writing. They’d occasionally tell their younger sister Rosie about their adventures.
Their Situation Got Even Worse
The girls turned 18 in 1981 and began experimenting with alcohol and drugs, as well as committing minor crimes.
Their activities progressed to arson, and they were apprehended the next year. They set fire to three structures and were caught red-handed attempting to set fire to Pembrokeshire Technical College.
Marjorie Wallace, a London-based journalist for The Sunday Times, came across the twins’ story and was determined to learn more. She paid June and Jennifer visits in prison while they awaited their trials. She wished to shatter the stillness between them.
Wallace had read some of their articles and expressed her admiration for them to the twins. June’s reactions were ecstatic, and she questioned if she liked them with difficulty.
June and Jennifer pled guilty to 16 offenses of burglary, theft, and arson after their trial at Swansea Crown Court. They were condemned to indefinite imprisonment at Broadmoor, the most secure mental facility in the United Kingdom.
Their Stay at Broadmoor Hospital
Wallace believes it was an injustice that they were sent to a facility with cold-blooded killers and other dangerous offenders, but no other facility would take them because their behavior was too upsetting.
Wallace began visiting the twins every weekend at Broadmoor, determined to break into their inner world, and she gradually gained access to their universe.
Jeniffer and June spent nearly a decade in Broadmoor. It had been 12 years of agony, according to June. They were medicated with antipsychotics and sedated on a regular basis. The size of their journals and books shrank substantially. They were frantic to get out, so they wrote letters to the Home Office and the Queen but received no response. They had given up hope.
They got acquainted with Marjorie Wallace throughout their visit. She claimed the twins had a dry sense of humor, that they laughed at her jokes, and that they would sometimes spend entire teas laughing.
Wallace, on the other hand, began to notice the evil within each twin. She discovered from their diary entries that June felt possessed by her sister and was terrified of her, whom she referred to as her “black shadow.” June was Jennifer’s mortal nemesis, and she described her as “a face of agony, lies, and murder.”
Despite the fact that they looked to have an unbreakable link, the twins’ terror of each other grew over time, as seen by their writing.
Wallace put forth a lot of effort to figure out how the twins interacted, and he saw that June seemed to be more afraid of Jennifer, the dominant force. June attempted to open up more to Wallace, but Jennifer’s subtle cues appeared to prevent her from doing so.
Free at last?
The twins were cleared for relocation to a medium-security clinic closer to home in 1993, a month before their 30th birthday. After 12 years, it was their first step toward liberation.
Wallace paid one last visit to the twins at Broadmoor a few days before the relocation. They were having a pleasant talk when Jennifer abruptly said:
“Marjorie, I’m going to have to die.”
Wallace thought she was joking and told her:
“Why are you going to have to die? You’re not ill.”
The twins answered:
“Because we’ve decided. We have made a pact. Jennifer has got to die.”
They seemed to have arrived in the conclusion that one of them would have to give up their life in order for the other to truly be free.
Wallace was terrified at that moment, knowing they meant it, and she opted not to ask any more questions.
She informed the physicians, who assured her that nothing was wrong and that the girls were being watched.
Jennifer Gibbons’ Death: What Happened to Her?
Jennifer said she wasn’t feeling well the morning they left Broadmoor. She placed her head on June’s shoulder in the transport cart and whispered, “At long last, we’re out,” before slipping into a coma.
She died less than 12 hours later from undetected acute myocarditis, a rare heart condition characterized by inflammation. It’s only a small percentage of the time when it’s fatal.
Jennifer Gibbons’ death is still a mystery, as there was no sign of poisoning or anything strange in her system.
June wrote in her diary about her loss and sorrow at her sister’s death, but Wallace paid her a visit to the new hospital after a few days and was surprised to find her in excellent spirits and eager to talk. June, she claimed, appeared to be a new person.
She gently explained to Wallace how Jennifer had to die and how they had determined that once that happened, June would be responsible for living for the other.
June spent a year at Caswell Hospital before returning to West Wales to start a new life. She continues to reside in the United Kingdom, close to her family. She leads a normal life and speaks to everyone who will listen, although she has attempted to stay out of the spotlight in the past, with the exception of a few interviews.
Nordlingen, The Town Inside A Meteorite Crater With Millions Of Meteorite Diamonds
The German town of Nördlingen is embedded with 72,000 tons of microscopic diamonds. About 15 million years ago, a meteorite hit this region, and the impact created a massive depression and formed rocks containing diamonds, glass, and crystals. The town was built in the impact crater sometime around 898 CE.
Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal
In the 1940s and 1950s, Quaker Oats and MIT conducted experiments on radioactive iron and calcium-containing cereal. The diet was part of a study to see if the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal traveled throughout the body. In January 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached for 30 victims who came forward.
how Ferris wheel invented
In 1891, Chicago challenged engineers to create a structure to surpass the Eiffel Tower for the World's Columbian Exposition. George Washington Gale Ferris jr. responded with the original Ferris Wheel, a giant rotating structure elevating visitors above the city. This invention became an iconic attraction at the fair.
The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery
On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.
Louis Le Prince Invented the motion picture camera, and then he mysteriously disappeared
Louis Le Prince, the inventor of motion pictures, vanished without a trace in 1890. Thomas Edison quickly claimed the title of "first and sole inventor of cinema," even taking Le Prince's son to court to dispute it. A few years later, the son also dies under mysterious circumstances.
Iranian inmate dies from happiness after finding out he will not be executed
An Iranian man who was convicted of murder reportedly died from happiness after learning that his death sentence was being commuted.
D.B. Cooper: Man who hijacked a plane and jumped out with a $200,000
On November 22, 1971, DB Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727, drank a whisky, smoked a fag, and then jumped out of the plane with $200,000. He was never again seen.
The Bizarre (And Magical) Duel Between Chung Ling Soo And Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo were two magicians from the early 20th century who were bitter rivals. While Ching Ling Foo was genuinely Chinese, Chung Ling Soo was actually a New Yorker named William Robinson.
The true story of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, the lady born with four legs and two private parts
Josephine Myrtle Corbin, an American sideshow performer born in 1868, had a rare condition known as dipygus, which caused her to have four legs, each smaller inner leg paired with one of her outer legs. Corbin joined the sideshow circuit, captivating audiences as the "Four-Legged Girl from Texas."
Saudi Arabia camel carvings dated to prehistoric era
Archaeologists were shocked to discover that a series of camels carved into desert rock faces in north-western Saudi Arabia are actually prehistoric, dating from 7,000-8,000 years ago - before either the Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge were built.
Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt
When Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.
Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway
The final image of 14-year-old Australian Keith Sapsford, who aspired to travel the world. In February 1970, he sneaked into the wheel-well of a plane flying from Sydney to Tokyo. It opened mid-air & fell out. When a photographer was testing a new lens, he captured this moment on film and was surprised when it developed.
Will & William Wests: The puzzling situation of two inmates who are identical but not related
These are the mugshots of Will West and William West, and they are not related. They were both sent to Leavenworth Prison at the same time, in 1903, and after some confusion, the staff understood they had two different prisoners with the nearly same name, who looked exactly alike. They are part of the reason fingerprints are now used as identification.
What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.
The 1976 April Fools' Pranks, Planetary Alignment
On April fool's Day, 1976, the BBC convinced many listeners that a special alignment of the planets would temporarily decrease gravity on Earth. Phone lines were flooded with callers who claimed they felt the effects.
Susanna Salter: The Trailblazing Story of America’s First Female Mayor
In 1887, Susanna Salter became the first female mayor in the United States, elected in Argonia, Kansas. Her nomination was initially a prank by men opposing women in politics. However, she won by a landslide and served effectively, inspiring the women’s suffrage movement and breaking barriers for women in leadership.
Philippines, the largest supplier of Nurses in the World
Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide.
Martin Couney, Saved Thousands of Premature Babies Wasn’t a Doctor at All
Martin Couney never qualified as a medical doctor. However, in the 1900s, he saved thousands of premature babies by exhibiting them in incubators at his Coney Island sideshow. Over the course of his career, he is said to have saved about 6,500 babies that had previously been written off by mainstream medicine.
The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!
Roller Coasters were First Invented to Distract People from sin
Roller coasters were invented to distract Americans from sin. In the 1880s, hosiery businessman LaMarcus Thompson didn’t like that Americans were going to places like saloons and brothels and created the first roller coaster on Coney Island to persuade them to go there instead.
Why the Brooklyn Bridge Was Once Crossed by 17 Camels and 21 Elephants
On May 30, 1883, a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge was going to collapse caused a stampede, which killed at least at twleve people. To prove the bridge was safe, P.T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants over it.
The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.
Marion Stokes recorded 30 years of television
Marion Stokes, a Philadelphia woman began taping whatever was on television in 1979 and didn’t stop until her death in 2012. The 71,000 VHS and Betamax tapes she made are the most complete collection preserving this era of TV. They are being digitized by the Internet Archive.
