Happy birthday to the world's oldest surviving sextuplets
Susan Wilson and Colin Rosenkowitz with the sextuplets at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. Picture: Independent Media Archives Susan Wilson and Colin Rosenkowitz with the sextuplets at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. Picture: Independent Media Archives
Cape Town - The world's oldest surviving sextuplets were born in Cape Town 44 years ago.
The Rosenkowitz sextuplets were born at the Mowbray Maternity Hospital on January 11, 1974.
David, Nicky, Jason, Emma, Grant and Liz were the first sextuplets known to have been born alive anywhere in the world.
Born four weeks early, their total birth weight was a mere 11 kilograms.
Here's how much each of the babies weighed at birth in the order in which they were born:
David Peter - 2.0 kg
Grant Vincent - 1.8 kg
Jason Solomon - 2.0 kg
Emma Louise - 1.8 kg
Nicolette Anne - 1.2 kg
Elizabeth Rebecca - 1.9 kg
The sextuplets became instant celebrities with journalists from across the world clamouring to report on the challenges of caring for six newborns.
Throughout their early childhood, their progress was closely followed by the South African media.
The Rosenkowitz sextuplets celebrating their third birthday. Picture: Independent Media Archives
The Rosenkowitz sextuplets celebrating their fourth birthday at their home in Constantia. From left to right are Grant, Jason, Emma, Nicolette, their mother, Susan, David and Elizabeth. Picture: Independent Media Archives
Their first day of school in 1980 was no different:
All but one of the Rosenkowitz sextuplets are now living abroad, but they are still an important part of our history.