Memorable Multiples on The Oprah Show

Photo by New York Times Co./Getty Images

Born in 1934, the Dionne children are the first set of quintuplets known to survive. As babies, they were considered a rare phenomenon and immediately became world famous. Three of the five quints were still living when The Oprah Show aired in January 1996. They were 60 years old at the time.

The Kienast quintuplets—Sara, Amy, Ted, Gordon and Abby—were 25 years old when they shared their story with Oprah on January 19, 1996. When their mother Peggy Jo Kienast gave birth to them in 1970, they became the second known set of quintuplets in history!

In January 1996, Oprah interviewed Vikki, who, at that time, was the oldest mother in history to give birth to triplets: Alexandria, Nadia and Olivia.

The Peetes holding twins Rodney and Ryan

First-time parents Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete's twins Rodney Jr. and Ryan Elizabeth made their television debut on The Oprah Show just one month after they were born in 1997. Years later, Rodney Jr. (R.J.) was diagnosed with autism. Since then, Holly has become a well-known advocate for autism research.

Born on November 19, 1997, the McCaughey septuplets are the first set of septuplets in history! Kenny, Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon and Joel celebrated their first birthday with Oprah.

Brenda and Larry Furtik were surprised when Brenda gave birth to four identical boys: Kevin, Jason, Keith and Victor. Doctors were also shocked because there were no fertility drugs involved.

When the Furtik quads appeared on The Oprah Show on October 5, 2000, these 10-year-old stars were known for their roles in national commercials and TV shows.

After struggling to conceive, Beth Goodman, a 39-year-old single woman, said she went to a sperm bank and ended up becoming pregnant with quadruplets! Beth's babies Luke, Casen, Barret and Laila first visited The Oprah Show on October 4, 2004.

Halfway through her pregnancy, Erin and her husband Jake were given shocking news: A routine ultrasound discovered that they were having twins...and they were conjoined. After a difficult pregnancy, Kendra and Maliyah were born, joined at the pelvis and chest. They shared a large intestine, bladder, liver and single kidney.

Then, when they were 4 years old, the girls were separated after 16 hours of high-risk surgery. The twins celebrated their good news with Oprah in January 2007.

In Edwards, Mississippi—population 1,300—Kenya, Deshon and Warren are known as the "Martin triplets."

Thanks to an inspiring upbringing, these young men have come a long way from their humble beginnings. Not only did the Martin brothers succeed—they soared. During an Oprah Show appearance on April 10, 2007, the triplets explained how they finished high school at the top of their class, graduated from law school and pledged to donate $1 million to their alma mater, Jackson State University.

Oprah with Chris, Diamond and their sextuplets

In 2001, Chris and Diamond decided they wanted their son, Dewayne, to have a little brother or sister. After having problems conceiving, Diamond visited a local fertility clinic where she underwent artificial insemination. Soon, their prayers were answered—Diamond and Chris found out they were expecting twins. Little did they know, they were actually having six!

Although the babies were small, their birth was big news—they are the first set of surviving African-American sextuplets in history. The entire family visited The Oprah Show on April 10, 2007.

For five seasons, millions of viewers tuned in every week to see what Jon and Kate Gosselin and their children were up to. Why were they so intriguing? Jon and Kate are the parents of twins and sextuplets! In 2000, Kate gave birth to twin girls, Cara and Mady. Then, the couple decided to try for one more child. "We got a little more than we bargained for—we got six more," Kate said. "We're considered a fertility nightmare." The Gosselins first met Oprah on March 14, 2008.

Since the debut of their hit TLC reality series, Little People, Big World, Matt and Amy Roloff and their kids, Jeremy, Zach, Molly and Jacob, have become one of the most well-known families in America. Twins Jeremy and Zach are the oldest of the Roloffs' four children, but they aren't identical. They were born only two seconds apart, but now, Zach and Jeremy are nearly two feet apart in height. Of the four Roloff children, Zach is the only little person.

"It's fun," Zach said during a 2006 Oprah Show appearance. "We go through the same experiences as we grow up, but we experience [them in] different ways."

Few people become millionaires at the age of 10—but then again, most people don't begin working at infancy. The Olsen twin craze began when Mary-Kate and Ashley were just 9 months old, appearing as baby Michelle on the television show Full House. At just 7 years old, the mini-moguls co-founded Dualstar to market their images to tweens around the world, and at 18, the girls took over the company, estimated to be worth millions.

On October 23, 2008, these world-famous twins discussed their clothing line during their Oprah Show debut.

Actresses who play baby Lily on Modern Family

The adorable baby Lily on ABC's hit sitcom Modern Family is actually played by twins, Jayden and Ella. They were featured on The Oprah Show alongside the rest of the hilarious cast on September 29, 2010.

On January 26, 2009, Nadya Suleman, an unemployed single mother of six, gave birth to eight babies in a California hospital. Also known as the "Octomom," Nadya is now a busy mother with 14 children. On April 20, 2010, Nadya allowed Oprah Show cameras into her home for the first time to see what a typical day in her life is like.

They were born into a political dynasty, but Barbara and Jenna Bush credited their parents with keeping them grounded during their first Oprah Show appearance on May 4, 2010.

"We've got really normal parents," Jenna said. "They really instilled the important things—family and friends and service."

In an instant, a car accident shattered The Cobles' lives when their three children—Kyle, Emma and Katie—were killed. And then, one year later, a miraculous twist of fate—Lori gave birth to triplets, Ashley, Ellie and Jake! They appeared on The Oprah Show on October 25, 2010.

On November 2, 2010, Latin singing sensation Ricky Martin said his twins, Valentino and Matteo, inspired him to tell the world he is a proud gay man. "I had to because I couldn't take it anymore," he said. "But who gave me that final push was definitely my children, because if I didn't come out for them, what was I going to be teaching them? How to lie? I don't want my family to be based on lies. I want to be transparent to them. I want them to be proud of their dad. I want them to be proud of themselves, of their family."

High school sweethearts Ethan and Casey Jones had a picture-perfect life: They married right after college, built their dream home and had a beautiful daughter named Eliot. Then, they decided to have one more child using the same fertility treatment they used to conceive Eliot. But, the second time around, the results were a little different.

Instead of one baby, they conceived five: Brooklyn, Ryan, Jack, Britton and Lila. The quintuplets were on The Oprah Show on December 28, 2010, when they were almost 2 years old.

Celine Dion, husband Rene and twins Eddy and Nelson

After years of struggling to conceive and a heartbreaking miscarriage, Celine Dion delivered miracle twin boys, Eddy and Nelson, on October 23, 2010. "There's no time left in the day for you to rest, sleep, get ready, look pretty go out," Celine said. "But when you think about it, we wanted those kids so much that it doesn't matter. ... You're surrounded with love, and you're busy, but in a good way." Eddy and Nelson made their TV debut on The Oprah Show on February 21, 2011.

While still grieving the loss of twins who passed away at birth, Rozonno and Mia McGhee found out they were pregnant—with sextuplets! "I can't believe that they're mine," Mia said. "It's a true miracle." On February 21, 2011, 8-month-old Elijah, Josiah, Isaac, Olivia, Madison and Rozonno Jr. melted hearts on The Oprah Show.

More from the show
Browse the McGhee family photo album
See what it's like to raise sextuplets

Meet Celine Dion's twin boys, Eddy and Nelson

Memorable Oprah Show Multiples