Superlative siblings: Brothers and sisters who've claimed iconic world records together

Siblings aren’t just someone you were forced to share your toys with when you were a kid, they’re also someone you could break a world record with.

If you’ve spent your whole lives arguing about which one of you is the best, why not put your differences aside and be iconic together?

Since today (10 April) is National Siblings Day, we’re taking a look at some of the amazing records brothers and sisters have claimed together…

Most siblings with albinism

These British siblings made history together in May 2021 when they officially received their Guinness World Records title for most siblings with albinism.

"One blessing was that our albinism made us closer than other siblings because we all shared something different, very unique," said sister Naseem Akhtar. 

Their family counts six siblings affected by the genetic condition: Naseem Akhtar, Ghulam Ali, Haider Ali, Muqadas Bibi, Musarat Begum and the youngest, Mohammed Rafi.

They all inherited the condition from their parents, which determines the colour of your skin, hair, and eyes.

And while the siblings say they experienced some stigma for their appearances when they were younger, they confronted the hate and ignorance by educating others and sticking together as one, finding support and love in their family.

"I supported them, and they supported me by being the same as me. We were all a team," said Naseem.

First twins born in different decades

As a new decade approached, US couple Dawn Gilliam and Jason Tello were at the Ascension St Vincent Carmel Hospital in Carmel, Indiana, for the imminent birth of their twins. Little did they know, they’d make history.

Baby girl Joslyn Grace Guilen Tello was born at 11:37 p.m. on 31 December 2019 and her brother, Jaxon DeWayne Mills Tello, followed half an hour later at 12:07 a.m. on 1 January 2020.

They were the first set of twins on record to have been born not just in different years, but in two different decades.

First twins born in different countries

When Carol Munro (UK) gave birth to a bouncing baby girl, Heidi Hilane Gannon, on 23 September 1976, she had no idea she was actually expecting twins.

Heidi was born at 9:05 a.m. at Welshpool Hospital, Wales, and her umbilical cord was cut before doctors realized there was another baby still to come.

Carol was transferred to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, England, for specialist care, and it’s there that Katherine Joanne Baines (née Roberts) was born at 10:45 a.m. that same day.

Most siblings born on the same day

Ameer and Khudija Ameer Ali Mangi (Pakistan) welcomed seven children together who were all born on the same day – 1 August.

They welcomed Sindhoo in 1992, twins Sasui and Sapna in 1998, Aamir in 2001, Ambar in 2002, and twins Ammar and Ahmar in 2003.

What’s even more amazing, is that Ameer and Khudija were also both born on 1 August, meaning they also hold the record for most family members born on the same day.

Most premature twins

Mixed twins Adiah Laelynn and Adrial Luka Nadarajah (Canada) defied the odds when they were born 126 days early on 4 March 2022 to proud parents Shakina Rajendram and Kevin Nadarajah.

They were born at a gestational age of 22 weeks, or 154 days. Adiah weighed 330 grams (11.6 oz) and Adrial weighed 420 grams (14.8 oz), and doctors gave them a 0% chance of survival.

Most premature triplets

UK triplets Rubi-Rose, Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae Hopkins were born to Michaela White and Jason Hopkins at a gestational age of 22 weeks 5 days (159 days) on 14 February 2021.

They were 121 days premature.

Longest separated twins

In a tear-jerking moment, twins Elizabeth Ann Hamel (née Lamb, USA) and Ann Patricia Hunt (née Wilson, UK) were reunited for the first time after 77 years and 289 days on 1 May 2014.

They has been born to Alice Lamb in Aldershot, Hampshire, UK, on 28 Feb 1936 and a decision was made to separate them for adoption.

Ann grew up unaware that she even had a sister who now lived in Portland, Oregon.

Sadly, Elizabeth passed away in November 2014, just a few months after they had reunited.

Ann died in December 2017.

Oldest craniopagus conjoined twins to be separated

Arthur and Bernardo Lima (Brazil) were aged 3 years 284 days when they underwent surgery to be separated.

They were joined at the head and had a fused brain.

The series of procedures took place over 27 hours at the Instituto Estadual do Cerebro Paulo Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro and almost 100 medical staff were involved, overseen by Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani and Dr Gabriel Mufarrej.

The extremely complex surgery was made possible by a virtual-reality technology that enabled surgeons to practise the operation for months on details scans of the twins’ heads.

Oldest conjoined twins ever

Ronnie and Donnie Galyon of Dayton, Ohio, USA, lived to an unprecedented 68 years 253 days, surpassing their world-famous heroes Chang and Eng Bunker, who lived to be 62 years 251 days.

Ronnie and Donnie fused together in the womb at the abdomen and pelvis.

They were born on 25 October 1951 and spent the following two years in hospital, but doctors decided it wouldn’t be safe to separate them.

Oldest female-born conjoined twins ever

Lori Lynn and George (b. Dori) Schappell (USA) lived until the age of 62 years 202 days.

The twins were fused at the head and shared vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains, but were different in many ways and lived very individual lives.

Lori and George were also the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders.

The twins were often asked if they wished they could have been separated, but always said no.

George said in a 1997 documentary: “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?”

Greatest height difference in identical female twins

Sierra and Sienna “Sinny” Bernal (USA) may be identical twins, but there’s over 1 ft between them in height.

Sierra is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) and Sinny, who has a rare form of primordial dwarfism, is 132 cm (4 ft 4 in).

The twins were born prematurely, with Sinny weighing just under 1 lb 8 oz (0.68 kg) and Sierra weighing 4 lb 4.8 oz (1.95 kg).

It wasn’t until they were six years old that Sinny was given her diagnosis, and her form of dwarfism is so rare that is isn’t even formally classified.

Greatest height different in non-identical female twins

Japanese fraternal twins Yoshie and Michie Kikuchi have a height difference of 75 cm (2 ft 5.5 in).

Michie, who stands at 87.5 cm (2 ft 10.5 in), has congenital spinal epiphyseal dysplasia, which is a form of dwarfism and a rare genetic disorder that results in short stature and skeletal anomalies.

Yoshie is 162.5 cm (5 ft 4 in).