In 1997, Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey of Iowa made history when they welcomed the world’s first surviving set of septuplets. Born nine weeks prematurely, their arrival captured global attention, and the McCaughey family quickly became a household name. Overnight, they went from a family of three—already raising a daughter named Mikayla—to a bustling household of ten.
The seven babies—Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon, and Joel—made headlines around the world. Media outlets flooded the new parents with interview requests, and in celebration of their first birthday, the septuplets appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where each child received their own birthday cake. They even met then-President Bill Clinton.
Caring for seven newborns proved to be both a joy and a monumental challenge. According to Obsev.com, the McCaugheys used an average of 52 diapers and 42 bottles of milk each day. Thankfully, the family received generous donations, including a 5,500-square-foot home, a van, diapers for the first two years, and a year’s worth of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Perhaps most notably, each of the children was offered a full college scholarship to any state university in Iowa.
