Mike the Headless Chicken: An 18-Month Miracle
2024-12-24
In 1945, a Wyandotte rooster named Mike miraculously survived for 18 months after being beheaded. The axe missed the jugular vein, leaving most of his brainstem intact, allowing him to maintain basic life functions. Though he could only gurgle and walk unsteadily, Mike's unusual survival made him a sideshow sensation, touring with other oddities. He tragically choked to death in 1947. Today, Fruita, Colorado celebrates Mike with an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day."