Twin brothers separated at birth discover they've lived same life 39 years later

A pair of twins given the same name have left people astounded after they learned they lived the exact same lives.

Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were adopted by separate families when they were babies and were even given the same first name by their parents. But the creepy similarities between the brothers didn't stop there.

Growing up 40 miles from each other in Ohio, US, the pair never encountered one another until one reached out to the other at the age of 39. It was then they realised the creepy similarities in their very separate upbringings.

Both Lewis and Springer had an adoptive brother named Larry each named their childhood pet dog Toy. As they got older they both trained in law enforcement, although they had different careers in the field.

Even their tastes in spouse were unnervingly similar. Both Jims married twice, first to two different Lindas, who they each divorced from. They later each tied the knot with another woman – both named Betty.

Both Lewis and Springer became dads, welcoming into the world their sons James Allan and James Alan.

Twins often share personality traits, and at school, both had a preference for woodwork and maths while spelling was not their forte. Both chain-smoked, suffered from migraines and drove a Chevrolet.

But there was one glaring difference between the pair – Jim Lewis knew he had a biological brother while Jim Springer had been told his twin had passed away as a baby. The siblings didn't meet until the former got his brother's details from an Ohio courthouse and asked to meet

The pair were eventually recruited for a psychological study by Dr Thomas Bouchard from the University of Minnesota, who found their medical histories, brain-wave tests and personality tests were practically identical.

People on social media have been left astounded by the story, which has recently resurfaced on Reddit. One person wrote: "I’ve read so many studies about twins who live similar lives but separated at birth. It’s so amazing the likenesses."

Another replied: "How many choices are truly ours?". Meanwhile a third chimed in: "My brain can’t even comprehend, truly wild."

Meanwhile another joked: "Fascinating read, thanks for posting. Note: Toy is such a dumb name for a dog."

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