On this day in 1986, twins May and Marjorie Chavasse celebrated their 100th birthday. They were Britain's oldest surviving twins and both received a telegram from the Queen. Among the guests at their joint birthday party were four generations of their family. They included five-year-old William and Vivian Hall - the first twins to be born in the family since May and Marjorie. The chances of identical twins both living beyond the age of 100 are about 700 million. But the Chavasse twins were said to be determined from an early age to reach 100.
Neither sister married but both had distinguished careers. Marjorie worked for the Dr Barnados charity setting up children's homes. May became a nurse and cared for wounded soldiers in France during World War I. She subsequently received a military honour for her work.
Marjorie still lives in her own home in Windsor, Berkshire while May lives in a home for retired nurses in Buckinghamshire.
The twins came from a distinguished family in which their elder brothers were twins. One of them, Noel. was a war hero and one of only a few men to twice be awarded Britain's highest military honour - the Victoria Cross. The other twin brother Christopher, followed in their father's footsteps by becoming a Bishop in the Church of England.
May Chavasse died before her 101st birthday but Marjorie lived to the age of 103.
According to the Guinness Book of Records the worlds oldest female twins were Kin Narita and Gin Kanie of Japan who celebrated their 107th birthday in 1999. Kin the elder by 20 minutes died the following year.
If you wish to watch the twins celebrating their centenary with a birthday bash, click on the following link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6540000/newsid_6549600/6549625.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1
