Twins has always caused and will cause a lot of emotions. Someone is surprised by their similarity, someone is interested in it, and someone is simply touched by two little kids who look alike like two drops of water.

 

They have their own language, DNA is the same, but fingerprints are different

 

We at Bemorepanda have prepared some fascinating facts that will make you wonder just how special twins are.

 

1. Twins can come from different fathers and even belong to different races.

Yes, it sounds incredible, but it could be true. If a woman ovulates twice and then has sexual intercourse with two different men, it may well happen that both eggs are fertilized. This happens in a certain sequence, which is practically impossible to follow on purpose.

 

The scientific name for this phenomenon is superfecundation (hetero-paternal fertilization). It can happen during IVF. One of the few such cases was reported in Holland. Wilma and Willem Stewart applied for IVF, during which something went wrong, and as a result, two boys were born - one white, the other black. It later turned out that before the procedure, Willem's sperm was accidentally mixed with the sperm of another man.

 

2. Twice as many twins are born today than in decades past

Studies by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that the birth rate of twins has increased by 76% since 1980. In 1980 alone, every 53rd child was born a twin, and already in 2009, every 30th.

 

One possible reason is later delivery. At 30, you are more likely to have twins than, for example, at 20. Another reason was reproductive treatments. There is evidence that dairy products are to blame.

 

3. Geminis speak their own language

Surely you have heard that little brothers or sisters spoke to each other in some incomprehensible language, but understood each other perfectly. This language is called cryptophasia and is spoken by about 40% of twins.

 

The fact is that children actively imitate each other, which allows them to gain vocabulary. Often it can be replenished with not the best examples, such as incomprehensible sounds, to which children attach a specific meaning and speak them freely. As the child develops and his real vocabulary grows, the so-called cryptophasia disappears - approximately by the junior school age. But some twins retain this language and use it deftly in later years.

 

4. Different fingerprints

Twins may look like two peas in a pod, but everyone will still have their own fingerprints.

 

5. If twins were separated during childbirth, then scientists will try to reunite them.

There is a heated debate in genetics and psychology to this day about which prevails - nature or nurture. Genetically, twins are very close to each other. However, how does this affect their upbringing, and will twins raised in different environments look alike?

 

It is almost impossible to test this experimentally, since cases of twin separation are quite rare, and no one will separate children specifically for the sake of research.

 

Twins Meredith Grace Rittenhouse and Meredith Ellen Harrington were born in China and adopted by two different American families that did not intersect. Throughout her childhood, Meredith Ellen shared with her parents thoughts that she felt lonely and wanted to have a sister. Subsequently, Meredith's father Ellen came across a photograph of a very similar girl. He immediately turned to the adoption agency to find a second family and arrange a meeting for the girls. When Meredith Ellen and Meredith Grace met, they immediately declared that they were born together.

 

6. The oldest twins were 104 years old

British twins Ena Pugh and Lily Millward were born in 1910. They are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest twins living on Earth. But later it turned out that the sisters Edith Ritchie and Evelyn Middleton from Scotland are older by as much as 50 years, and the title passed to them.

 

7. Twins can be different ages.

When attempts to conceive a child naturally fail, many parents turn to IVF. To increase the chances of conception, you have to fertilize several eggs at once. Parents can transfer all embryos or freeze them for several years. In the second case, it may happen that the children will be born at different times, but genetically they will be twins.

 

And there are interesting coincidences, as in the case of the Buffalo twins. Ronan is the eldest son, born on December 31, 2011 at 11:37 pm, and his younger brother Rory was born on January 1, 2012 at 00:10 am. The difference is literally half an hour, but it turns out that they were born in different years.

 

8. Diet increases the chance of having twins

This is good news for those who dream of twins and love dairy products. According to studies, they increase the likelihood of having twins.

 

The thing is that milk protein stimulates the ovaries and increases the level of IGF (insulin-like growth factor) by 13 times. Perhaps the culprit is growth hormone, which is actively added to livestock feed.

 

9. The higher the woman, the more likely she is to give birth to twins.

Modern research has shown that the taller a woman is, the higher her level of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) is, making the ovaries more prone to ovulation.

 

10. Fraternal Twins

This is a less common type of twins, which occurs as a result of the fertilization of two or more eggs. As a result, twins are born, similar to each other like brothers and sisters, but with different genotypes.

 

11. The twin gene exists

During hyperovulation, a woman is able to reproduce more than one egg, which increases the likelihood of having fraternal twins. Hyperovulation is genetically transmitted, so it is likely that if one of your relatives has this gene, you will inherit it too. However, the appearance of identical twins does not depend on this.

 

12. Moms with twins are more likely to have morning sickness.

It occurs due to the fact that a woman increases the hormone hCG - human chorionic gonadotropin.

 

13. Two pairs of identical twins married each other: who are their children to each other?

Despite the fact that officially their children are considered cousins, they are genetically brothers.

 

14. Siamese twins can "read" each other's minds.

In 2011, The New York Times published an article about the two Hogan sisters, which stated that Siamese twins have a neural connection that connects the two brains. This literally allows them to "read" each other's minds.

 

15. Twins bond before birth

It's no secret that twins are very attached to each other. After all, they spent nine months in their mother's belly. However, attachment is formed long before birth. Doctors used 3D ultrasound to monitor five pairs of twins. Studies have shown that babies begin to reach out to each other as early as 14 weeks of gestation. The physical contact of the twins took up to 30% of the time, and at 18 weeks the contacts became more frequent.

 

16. Brazil is the capital of the twins

In the remote Brazilian village of Candido Godoy, between 1959 and 2008, 8% of the total number of twins were born. By the way, in the rest of the world this figure does not exceed 1%.

 

The initial cause was thought to be a local source of water, but later scientists proved that local women have a hyperovulation gene, which leads to a high twin birth rate.

 

17. Longevity Moms

Scientists from the University of Utah found an interesting pattern. Mothers of twins often live longer than other parents. For the study, data were selected from 1800 to 1970, in which records of more than 59 thousand women were studied.

 

18. Geminis synchronize their sleep cycles.

If one of the babies wakes up and starts crying, the other soon joins him. However, even in adulthood, if one twin does not sleep, then the other is unlikely to sleep either.

 

19. Twins become different

Identical twins are often very difficult to tell apart. They can literally look like exact copies of each other. But a recent article from Live Science published a study that suggests that as they mature, twins may develop differences from each other. It's all about different habits, food, rhythms of life, environmental influences, various substances and other factors.

 

20. Lefties are more common among twins.

According to statistics, there are more left-handers among twins than among other children. According to some reports, about one in five couples.

 

21. There are more twins

Between 1980 and 2009, there were 76% more twins born in the US alone, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 children.

 

22. Not exactly the same

Many parents sin by dressing twins in the same clothes, giving them similar hairstyles, despite the fact that completely different personalities are sitting inside. Writer Grace Lin spoke about this in her book Ling and Ting: Not Quite the Same. In this book, the writer tells about the life of identical twins with completely different characters and even hairstyles.

 

23. Twins have different ages

Twins are not born at the same time. The difference in their age can be up to 17 minutes, and sometimes more. There were cases when twins were born even on different days.

 

24. Main difference

Twins can be distinguished by their navels, because they have nothing to do with genetics. The only problem is that asking people to show their navels for identification is not always appropriate.

 

25. The phenomenon of the disappeared twin

In medicine, there is such a term as "disappeared twin syndrome." This happens when one of the embryos stops developing in the womb for a number of reasons.

 

26. There are more divorces in families with twins.

The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has published a study that says that parents of twins are more likely to resort to divorce than in other families.

 

27. Record holders for the number of twins

Among all animal species, polar bears most often give birth to twins.

 

28. Identification of twins

To determine pregnancy with twins, doctors use a stethoscope to listen to two hearts.

 

29. Get ready to get better

During pregnancy with one child, a woman can add 11 to 16 kg of weight. And during pregnancy with twins, you need to be prepared for the fact that the increase will be up to 20 kg.

 

30. Where do most twins live?

Nigeria breaks out into the lead in the number of multiple pregnancies. In 2008, about 4% of births were twins.

 

The lowest figure went to China. There, as of 2011, up to 1.1% of twins are born. In the US, Massachusetts, this figure is approximately 3%. This means that up to 4 twins are born for every 100 children.

 

 

 

Gemini is an adventurous, bright, intellectual sign whose representatives are complex dual natures. They are not only prone to mood swings but also to situations of mental turmoil, search for themselves, involvement in adventures, and dubious undertakings.

 

The element of Gemini is the changeable Air, and their planet is the restless Mercury, which endows this sign with sociability, skill, and quickness of mind. As a rule, they are rarely pleased and satisfied with their lives. Their ambitions and endless ideas move them forward - only in movement and search for new horizons do Gemini feel good.

 

What is Gemini as personality?

 

Gemini is the most mobile and pleasant, outwardly friendly people who depend on society and new information. These are strong and determined people, and intelligence and cunning allow them to manage, avoiding the use of physical force. The ability to always be in the center of important events and adequately deal with the data received allows them to juggle facts deftly. Therefore most often, representatives of this sign become lawyers, journalists, public figures, and public figures. 

 

Among Gemini, both geniuses and scammers are often found. Despite the seeming invulnerability, Gemini is painfully vulnerable - a sensitive nature is hidden behind the armor of ostentatious indifference. Unbalance and lack of stability can sometimes destroy even the most talented soul. Twins, as a rule, are not distinguished by good health, prone to depression and allergies. In love, they never rely only on the physical attractiveness of a partner - for Gemini, intrigue, psychological battles, and complex and exciting relationships are essential.

 

Who are Some of the Most Famous Gemini?

 

Angelina Jolie

 

Angelina Jolie (née Voight) is an American actress, film director, and social activist. She is the winner of the Oscar, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 3 Golden Globes. It is still believed that Jolie is the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.

 

Jolie began acting in films with her father, Jon Voight, in Lookin' to Get Out (1982). But Angelina's film career started as much as ten years later in the low-budget film Cyborg 2 (1993). The first significant role - in the funny film "Hackers" took place in 1995. Before the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "Girl, Interrupted" (1999), there were roles in "George Wallace" (1997) and "Gia" (1998).

 

The role of the computer heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) brought Jolie to the first echelon of Hollywood actresses. Jolie continued her path to fame with the films "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (2005), "Wanted" (2008), and "Salt" (2010). Critics praised her performance in A Mighty Heart (2007) and Changeling (2008). Jolie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Changeling. In 2010, Jolie made her debut as a film director, screenwriter, and producer with In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and Unbroken (2014). Commercial success awaited her in the form of the movie Maleficent (2014).

 

In addition to her film career, Jolie is actively involved in humanitarian work. For this, she was awarded the Jean Hersholt humanitarian award and the knighthood of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.

 

Jolie has been appointed as UN Special Envoy for Refugees. Jolie is recognized as one of the most influential people in the American entertainment industry. She was married to Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. Jolie broke up with Brad Pitt.

 

Marilyn Monroe

 

The future Marilyn Monroe was born as Norma Jean Mortenson.

The future Marilyn spent her childhood in foster homes. Then began a modeling career that led to a film contract in 1946.

 

Starting small, Marilyn appeared in the films The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (1950). Both films were very well received. They made Marilyn a tangible sex symbol. Marilyn Monroe proved her comedic talent with the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, and The Seven Year Itch. These same films made Monroe one of the most beloved actresses.

 

Monroe did not like the image of a dumb blonde, in which she was regularly recorded. She tried to expand those limits. The first marriage to baseball player Joe DiMaggio failed. While Monroe was married to playwright Arthur Miller, Monroe attended an acting studio and organized Marilyn Monroe Productions.

 

Marilyn's acting in "Bus Stop" was highly appreciated by critics. And for her role in "Only Girls in Jazz," Monroe was awarded the Golden Globe.

 

The last years of Marilyn's life were overshadowed by illness, personal problems, and her bad temper of the actress herself. The actress died under extraordinary circumstances, and is still unknown exactly what caused her death. In 1989, Marilyn Monroe was recognized as 6 of the most remarkable women in show business.

 

Johnny Depp

 

Johnny Depp's real name is John Christopher Depp. Depp is a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award winner.

 

Depp's rise to fame began with the teen series 21 Jump Street (the 1980s), and they became a teen idol. Gradually, he moved away from this and only accepted roles that challenged him (for example, Edward Scissorhands (1990)). Commercial success was brought by Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Rango (2011), and, of course, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (launched in 2003). In collaboration with the film director and his great friend Tim Burton, Depp made eight films (the last, at the moment, is Dark Shadows (2012).

 

The glory of Johnny Depp was the images of Ed Wood in "Ed Wood," Joseph Pistone in "Donnie Brasco," Hunter S. Thompson in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," George Jung in "Cocaine" and John Dillinger in "Public Enemies." Johnny Depp's name helped raise $3.1 billion in the US and over $7.6 billion worldwide.

 

Depp has been nominated for numerous awards for his acting. For the role of Sweeney Todd, he received the Golden Globe and for the position of Jack Sparrow - the Screen Actors Guild Award. Also, Johnny Depp was twice awarded the title of Sexiest Man (People magazine in 2003 and 2009). In 2012, Depp got into the Guinness Book with the most significant fee of $ 75 million.

 

Donald Trump

 

It is now known that Donald Trump is the President of the United States. Trump made his fortune by constructing office towers, hotels, casinos, and golf clubs. Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the election and will officially take office on January 20, 2017. Donald Trump will become the oldest president in US history.

 

Born in New York, Donald Trump received a degree in economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968.

 

As early as 1971, he gained control of his father, Fred Trump's construction firm. Now this company has become the most significant holding called the Trump Organization.

 

Nicole Kidman 

 

Nicole Marie Kidman is from Australia. Her film career began in 1983. Nicole starred in several Australian films and television programs, but the 1989 thriller Dead Calm shot. World fame Kidman made films "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Far, Far Away" (1992), and "Batman Forever" (1995).

 

Success was consolidated by films of the second half of the 1990s. For his role in the musical "Moulin Rouge!" (2001), Kidman won her second Golden Globe for Moulin Rouge! and the first Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

 

But for the role of Virginia Woolf in the drama The Hours (2002), Oscar Kidman was still given. She finally proved to the world that she is a serious and worthy dramatic actress.

 

Nicole Kidman's key films are To Die For (1995), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and Others (2001). "Cold Mountain" (2003), "Translator" (2005), "Australia" (2008).

 

For his role in the film "Rabbit Hole" (2010), Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for the third time. And in 2012, she received an Emmy for her role in the mini-series Hemingway & Gellhorn.

 

Kidman became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1994 and UNIFEM in 2006. Kidman has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, three Golden Globes, an Oscar, and a BAFTA Award. In 2006, Nicole Kidman was recognized as the highest-paid actress in the world. She owns the production company Blossom Films.

 

Natalie Portman

 

The real name of the actress and film director Natalie Portman is Natalie Hershlag, and she was born in Jerusalem.

At 12, Portman was invited to a role in the film "Leon" along with Jean Reno and Gary Oldman.

 

In the 1990s, Portman starred in the films "Heat," "Everybody Says I Love You," and "Mars Attacks." In the late 1990s, she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel.

 

The actress focused on her studies and graduated from Harvard with a degree in Psychology. Despite this, she managed to star in Garden State, Proximity, V for Vendetta, and My Blueberry Nights. For her role in Intimacy, she received a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA award. Don't miss Black Swan (2010), starring Natalie Portman.

 

Kylie Minogue

 

Kylie Ann Minogue made her way to fame through the Australian TV series Neighbors (mid-1980s). After that, the ambitious Australian began to make her way to the stage. According to Warner Music Australia, Kylie has sold over 65 million records worldwide.

A contract with British composers Stock, Aitken & Waterman gave her a series of hits. But by the early 1990s. Cooperation fizzled out, and Minogue terminated the contract in 1992.

 

Kylie refused the services of guest composers and began to make her way. Sales dropped sharply. But in 2000, everything changed, and Kylie became an international dance-pop star. Her videos are considered provocative, and her stage shows break all records in scale and size.

 

Kylie is considered to have the longest and most successful career in show business; Even native Australia succumbed to her charms; By the way, in the film "Moulin Rouge!" (2001), Kylie plays the absinthe fairy. She occasionally appears in movies—every time - in severe and dramatic roles.

 

Kate and Ashley Olsen

 

Identical actresses Kate and Ashley were born on June 13, 1986, in Los Angeles, California. Kate and Ashley created their brand under which they produce clothes. Of course, like twins, each admits that she loves her sister dearly. At 17, the girls realized the fickleness of acting careers and founded their own production company. So they also became the youngest film producers in Hollywood.

 

Naomi Campbell

 

Naomi Campbell is an iconic British top model and actress, the first black woman to appear on the covers of Vogue and Times magazines.

 

Naomi Campbell was raised by a single mother, Valerie Campbell, an Afro-Jamaican ballerina. And in keeping with her mother's wishes, Naomi Campbell never saw her father abandon 18-year-old Valerie two months after the birth of their daughter. As a child, Naomi Campbell was mainly in the care of a nanny while her mother toured Europe. Naomi Campbell had a strained relationship with her stepfather; the girl did not want to accept a new dad, and scandals often occurred in the house. At the age of 10, Naomi herself began to study ballet. After school, she entered the London Academy of Performing Arts for acting.

 

Naomi Campbell runs a charity project with the Dalai Lama to raise money through UNESCO for kindergartens in poor communities worldwide. In 2006, an image of Naomi Campbell was released on Austrian postage stamps.

 

In 2010, the program "Let them talk" shoots a particular issue in honor of Naomi Campbell's move to Russia for permanent residence.

 

In 2012, Naomi Campbell participated in opening the Summer Olympic Games in London.

 

In November 2012, Naomi Campbell agreed to host The Face's reality show. The new project is aimed at finding new faces in the modeling business.

 

Heidi Klum

 

German top model, actress, and TV presenter Heidi Klum has been considered one of the most famous models in the world since the late 1990s. Her career began in 1992 when Heidi Klum won the top prize in Thomas Gottschalk's Late-Night-Show. The 19-year-old schoolgirl won the competition against 25,000 competitors, and as a prize, she signed a contract with a modeling agency for $300,000. After leaving school, she abandoned her studies as a fashion designer in Düsseldorf and pursued her modeling career. Since 1993, Heidi Klum has been living in the USA.

 

World fame came to Heidi Klum in 1998, when her photo in a swimsuit was printed on the cover of the American magazine Sports Illustrated, whose circulation reached 20 million in the United States. In addition, Klum became one of the leading models of Victoria's Secret, one of the "angels." The popular magazine's Vogue and ELLE also came out with a photo of Heidi Klum on the cover. However, Klum never belonged to the group of models who walked the catwalks during the big shows in Paris, Milan, or New York.

 

Morgan Freeman

 

Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr. is the youngest of four children of teacher Mayme Edna Freeman, née Revere, and hairdresser Morgan Porterfield Freeman.

 

On stage, Morgan made his debut at nine, playing one of the roles in a school play. After that, he regularly took part in various productions, and spoke on the radio. After graduating from school, Morgan did not study acting, despite the predisposition to the artistic profession and the scholarship to study dramatic art, but joined the US Air Force.

 

After serving four years, Freeman retired, moved to Los Angeles, and began working as a clerk. In his spare time, he attended drama classes at The Pasadena Playhouse School of Performing Arts and took choreography lessons. In the first half of the 1960s, Freeman moved to New York, where he worked as a dancer and actor in various theater companies.

 

In 1964, the actor made his screen debut, appearing as an extra in the film The Pawnbroker and playing a cameo role in the television series Another World. Since then, Morgan Freeman has played over a hundred roles in film and television and has repeatedly participated in various shows and documentary projects.

 

Kanye West

 

American rapper, producer, and designer. He was born in the family of photojournalist Ray West and professor of English Donda West. The boy's parents divorced when he was three years old. Kanye was fond of creativity: he wrote poetry, painted, and studied music. In the third grade, he began to rap, and at the age of 13, he persuaded his mother to pay for recording in the studio.

 

After school, West entered the American Academy of Arts, where he studied drawing, then moved to the State University of Chicago but left it to devote himself entirely to music. The young man began his musical career in the mid-90s, and was the producer of Grav, D-Dot. Kanye later formed the Go-Getters with his fellow rappers. The group recorded their album, but officially it never saw the light of day.

 

West collaborated with many famous artists as a producer, but no one saw him as a rapper. Despite the doubts of his colleagues, Kanye released his debut album The College Dropout, which took second place on the Billboard 200 chart in the first week after the release. The rapper's next albums received favorable reviews from critics and West was repeatedly nominated for a Grammy.

 

In addition to music, the rapper is actively involved in the fashion industry: he has his own Pastelle clothing collection, he also collaborated with Nike and Adidas. West spares no time and effort for charity.