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.
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.
The Assassination Of King Alexander
The assassination of King Alexander of Yugoslavia marked a pivotal moment in the country's history. This article delves into the rise and reign of King Alexander, exploring his early life and ascension to the throne. It also examines the political and social climate in interwar Yugoslavia, setting the stage for the tensions and challenges that ultimately culminated in his tragic assassination. By understanding the context in which this event unfolded, we can better grasp the significance and impact it had on the nation and its future.
The Day an Israeli F-15 Landed with One Wing: Zivi Nedivi’s Unbelievable Mid-Air Survival
Discover the astonishing true story of Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who safely landed an F-15 after a mid-air collision tore off its entire right wing. Learn how skill, quick thinking, and the F-15’s unique design turned a disaster into a legendary feat in aviation history
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his own life
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his life in order to warn an incoming train of an imminent explosion. His telegraph said “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys.” He saved 300 lives.
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.
Terry Fox, a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 143 days before dying
Terry Fox was a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 3,339 miles across Canada in 143 days before dying.
From Flapper to Fashion Week: How 1920s Style Still Shapes Modern Trends
The roaring 1920s revolutionized fashion, introducing bold styles, daring cuts, and a spirit of freedom that still inspires today’s wardrobes. From flapper dresses to statement accessories, here’s how the Jazz Age lives on in modern fashion.
The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.
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.
Shizo Kanakuri’s 1912 Olympic Marathon Finished 54 Years
At the 1912 Olympics, a marathon runner quit and went home to Japan without telling officials and was considered a missing person in Sweden for 50 years. In 1966, he was invited to complete the marathon. His time: 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.379 seconds.
Moondyne Joe: The story of Australia's most notorious prison escapee
A man named Joseph Bolitho Johns (A.K.A Moondyne Joe) broke out of Australian prisons so many times that the police were compelled to build a special cell just for him. He escaped from that as well.
Thomas Baker's heroic act that earned him the "Medal of Honor" was 8 bullets until death
Thomas Baker instructed his team to leave him with a pistol and eight bullets propped up against a tree after he was injured. Later, American troops discovered the now-deceased Baker in the same location, lying next to eight dead Japanese soldiers and carrying an empty pistol.
Irena Sendler: woman who rescued Jews during holocaust
Irene Sendler was the Zegota resistance group's head of the children's department. She risked her life to smuggle children out of the Warsaw ghetto, place them with Polish families or orphanages, give each child a new identity, and keep records so that they could be returned to their families. In 1943, the Gestapo arrested and sentenced her to death, but she was rescued by Zegota.
The Amazing Truth About The German U-Boat That Was Sunk By A Toilet
During WWII, a German captain and an engineer flushed the submarine's high-tech toilet incorrectly, causing the vessel to rapidly fill with water. British planes patrolling the sea attacked them as the submarine was brought to the surface. While many members of the crew were killed in the attack, the captain escaped!
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."
How Cleveland's Balloonfest in 1986 Turned Into a Public Tragedy
In Cleveland, Ohio, United Way broke the world record by deflating nearly 1.5 million balloons as part of a publicity stunt to raise money. The balloon obstructed a US Coast Guard search for two boaters who were subsequently discovered to have drowned, blocked airport runways, and blocked land and waterways.
How Greek prime minister in 1830’s tried to spread the potato in Greece
A Greek prime minister in 1830’s tried to spread the potato in Greece but people weren’t interested so he put armed guards in front of shipments of potatoes so people would think they were important. People later started stealing these potatoes a lot which spread the crop to all of Greece.
The incredible story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill and her legacy
American environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days to prevent it from being cut down by the Pacific Lumber Company. The Simpson’s episode “Lisa the Tree Hugger” was inspired by Hill’s story.
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.
Albert Einstein’s brain after it was stolen from his body
Albert Einstein's brain was taken by the opportunistic pathologist who performed his autopsy hours after he died and kept in two jars for 30 years. The stolen brain of Albert Einstein was preserved in a cookie jar for 30 years until being discovered by a journalist.
How Sleep Deprivation Was Once Used as Torture
Sleep deprivation, long before modern interrogation techniques, was considered a “clean” and effective form of torture—leaving no physical scars, yet breaking minds with haunting silence. Victims endured days and nights without rest, leading to vivid hallucinations, disorientation, and psychological torment. This article traces the dark history of sleep deprivation as a weapon, examines the science behind its effects on the brain, and shines a light on the painful balance between human endurance and cruelty in the annals of coercion.
Story of Kathrine Switzer: the first woman to run in Boston Marathon
Before women were allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer participated. A race official attempted to forcefully remove her from the race in 1967, but her boyfriend pushed him down. She was the first female finisher who had a numbered entry in the race.
The true story of Annie Oakley, legendary sharpshooter
Anne Oakley was such a good shooter that she could split a playing card help edge-on, hit dimes thrown into the air, shoot cigarette from her husband's lips, and pierce a playing card thrown into the air before it hit the ground.
Underground Railroad to Mexico freed thousands of slaves in 1829
Slavery was abolished in Mexico in 1829. Slaves were escaping to Mexico, and slaveholders in the US were aware of this. The US attempted to get Mexico to sign a fugitive slave treaty, which would have required Mexico to send back escaped slaves to the US. But, Mexico refused, arguing that slaves were free as soon as they set foot on Mexican soil.
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.
