Sophie Bennett
The term geek was originally used to refer to circus performers who bit the heads off live chickens. This act, known as geeking, was often performed by unskilled carnival workers to attract a crowd. One famous chicken, Mike the Headless Chicken, survived for 18 months after being beheaded as most of his brain stem remained intact. Mike's owner exhibited him in sideshows and earned a substantial income from Mike's fame.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Mike |
| Species | Male Wyandotte chicken |
| Age when beheaded | Five-and-a-half months old |
| Date of beheading | 20 April 1945 |
| Date of death | 17 March 1947 |
| Time survived without head | 18 months |
| Reason for survival | Most of the brain stem remained intact, and a blood clot prevented bleeding to death |
| Owner | Lloyd and Clara Olsen |
| Nickname | Miracle Mike |
| Location | Fruita, Colorado |
| Legacy | A statue of Mike was erected in Fruita, where they hold the Headless Chicken festival every year in May |
| Original meaning of the term "geek" | A carnival worker who bit the heads off live animals such as chickens, snakes, and rats |
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What You'll Learn
- Mike the Headless Chicken lived for 18 months after being beheaded
- The term 'geek' was originally used to refer to circus performers who bit off chicken heads
- Miracle Mike's owner earned $4,500 per month at the height of the chicken's popularity
- Biting off a chicken's head was a way to attract a crowd at carnivals
- The town of Fruita holds the Headless Chicken festival every year in May
Mike the Headless Chicken lived for 18 months after being beheaded
The term "geek" was originally used to refer to circus performers or carnival workers who bit the heads off live chickens. These performers would also bite off the heads of other live animals, such as snakes and rats, and swallow them.
In an unusual turn of events, a chicken in Colorado lived for 18 months after being beheaded. This chicken, named Mike, survived because most of his brain stem remained intact, and a blood clot prevented him from bleeding to death. Beheading disconnects the brain from the body, but for a short period, the spinal cord circuits still have residual oxygen. Without input from the brain, these circuits start spontaneously, and the neurons can fire a motor programme of running.
Farmer Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, was planning to eat supper with his mother-in-law on September 10, 1945, and decided to prepare a chicken. Olsen chose a five-and-a-half-month-old Wyandotte chicken named Mike. However, when Olsen beheaded Mike, the axe missed the jugular vein, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact. To everyone's surprise, Mike did not die.
After realizing that Mike was still alive, Olsen and his wife, Clara, took him on a tour of the US, where he became a sideshow attraction. Mike achieved national fame and was even featured in Time and Life magazines. In his hometown of Fruita, an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day" is held in May to commemorate this remarkable bird.
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The term 'geek' was originally used to refer to circus performers who bit off chicken heads
The term "geek", originally used to refer to circus performers who bit off chicken heads, has an interesting history. While the specific origin of the term is unclear, it is believed to have come from the Scottish word "geck", meaning "fool", which evolved from Low German and North Sea Germanic/Scandinavian roots. This term was used to describe a certain type of carnival performer in the early 1900s who would eat live animals, including biting the heads off chickens, as well as snakes and rats. These performers were often looked down upon by other circus performers and were usually alcoholics or drug addicts, paid with liquor or narcotics.
The practice of geek shows, where performers would bite off chicken heads, was a part of traveling carnivals and circuses in early America. These shows often served as openers for freak shows, and while they were considered distasteful, they still attracted curious audiences. The term "geek" later took on a broader meaning and was used to refer to any individual who deviated from societal norms, whether in physical traits or other aspects. Today, the word "geek" has evolved even further and is often used to describe someone with a strong interest or expertise in a particular field, especially technology or pop culture.
The association between the word "geek" and chicken head-biting performers of the past is rarely made in modern times. However, the original usage of the term continues to influence pop culture references, such as in the 1990 Troma film "Luther the Geek," where the titular character is a murderer who bites the heads off his victims. Additionally, the 1993 "Beavis and Butt-Head" episode "At the Sideshow" features the characters forced to join a sideshow as Siamese twin chicken geeks.
The term "geek" has indeed come a long way from its original association with circus performers biting off chicken heads. While the specific practice of chicken head-biting may not be as prevalent in today's entertainment landscape, the word "geek" continues to evolve and take on new meanings and connotations in modern society.
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Miracle Mike's owner earned $4,500 per month at the height of the chicken's popularity
Miracle Mike, also known as Mike the Headless Chicken, was a Wyandotte chicken that lived for 18 months after being beheaded. On September 10, 1945, Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, chose Mike, a five-and-a-half-month-old chicken, for supper with his mother-in-law. However, Olsen's attempt to behead Mike was unsuccessful, as the axe missed the jugular vein, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact.
Despite losing most of his head, Mike was still able to walk, preen, peck for food, and make gurgling sounds. Word of the miraculous headless bird spread, and soon Mike became famous, even being featured in Time and Life magazines. At the height of his popularity, Mike's owner, Lloyd Olsen, earned $4,500 per month (equivalent to $63,400 in 2024). Mike himself was valued at $10,000 (equivalent to $140,800 in 2024).
Mike's fame led to a career of touring sideshows and travelling across the United States. He was put on display for the public to see, with an admission cost of 25 cents (equivalent to $4 in 2024). During his travels, Mike was carefully documented by Clara Olsen in a scrapbook that is now preserved in the Waters's gun safe.
Unfortunately, in March 1947, while on a stopover in Phoenix, Arizona, Mike choked on a kernel of corn and passed away. The Olsens did not have their feeding and cleaning syringes with them, and despite their efforts, they were unable to save Mike. Even after his death, stories persisted of Mike still touring the country as late as 1949, with Olsen claiming he had sold the bird.
Today, Mike's legacy lives on in his hometown of Fruita, Colorado, where an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day" is held in May. A statue of Mike stands in the town, and his story continues to fascinate and inspire people, even decades after his remarkable survival and rise to fame.
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Biting off a chicken's head was a way to attract a crowd at carnivals
The term ""geek"" was originally used to refer to circus performers and carnival workers who bit the heads off live chickens to attract a crowd. This act was known as a "geek show" and was often used as an opener for freak shows in travelling carnivals and circuses in early America. The performers, referred to as geeks, would chase live chickens in the centre ring and then bite their heads off and swallow them.
Geeks were often unskilled workers, alcoholics, or drug addicts who were paid with liquor or narcotics. The term "geek" may have originated in the early 20th century, but some sources suggest that it dates back to 14th-century Germany.
While the traditional geek show involved biting off chicken heads, some performers would also bite the heads off other live animals such as snakes and rats. In addition to the performer's skills, the use of fake blood and chicken head props could make the act seem more realistic and gruesome, thus attracting a larger crowd.
The practice of biting off a chicken's head was not limited to geeks in carnivals and circuses. In one instance, singer Alice Cooper attracted media attention when he threw a live chicken into the crowd during a concert, leading to headlines claiming that he had bitten off its head and drunk its blood.
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The town of Fruita holds the Headless Chicken festival every year in May
The term 'geek' was originally used in the early 20th century to refer to circus performers or carnival workers who bit the heads off live animals, including chickens, to entertain the audience. These performers were often unskilled, and this was their way of attracting a crowd.
The town of Fruita, Colorado, holds the Headless Chicken festival every year in May to commemorate Mike, a Wyandotte rooster, who lived for 18 months without a head. In September 1945, Lloyd Olsen, a farmer from Fruita, cut off Mike's head, but the chicken did not die. There was just enough of the brain stem left at the top of the neck to keep him alive. Olsen fed him grain through the hole where his head had been and gave him water through an eye-dropper.
Mike became a famous sideshow attraction, and his owners even took him on a tour of the country, charging people money to see him. He was featured in Life Magazine, where he was called "Miracle Mike". Mike eventually died in an Arizona motel room in 1947, choking on a kernel of corn.
The people of Fruita have been celebrating the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival since 1999, marking the 25th anniversary in 2025. The festival is held at the end of May each year and is free to attend. It is a highlight for the town, with T-shirts and other merchandise available for purchase. There is also a statue of Mike in Fruita, made of old metal implements, standing at about five feet tall.
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Frequently asked questions
A chicken without a head is popularly known as a "headless chicken". Miracle Mike, who lived for 18 months after his head was chopped off, is a famous example.
The term "geek" was originally used to refer to circus performers or carnival workers who bit the heads off live chickens.
Chickens can sometimes survive without their heads because the brain stem, which controls basic functions like breathing and heart rate, remains intact.
Yes, in Mike the Headless Chicken's hometown of Fruita, Colorado, an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day" is held in May, featuring events such as the "5K Run Like a Headless Chicken Race" and "Chicken Bingo."
