20th century history Archives

Mike the Headless Chicken: The Rooster Who Lived Eighteen Months After Losing His Head

Raymond on October 2, 2026

On a September afternoon in 1945, a Colorado farmer swung his axe at a young rooster for dinner — and the headless bird simply refused to die. Mike went on to live another eighteen months, tour the country as a sideshow marvel, and earn his owners a small fortune. It remains one of the strangest true survival stories ever recorded.

The 1904 Olympic Marathon: Rat Poison, Brandy, and the Most Chaotic Race Ever Run

Raymond on October 1, 2026

In the summer heat of 1904, thirty-two men set off to run a marathon over dusty St. Louis roads with a single water stop. One rode in a car. One napped after eating rotten apples. The winner was carried across the line, poisoned by his own trainers with a dose of strychnine. It remains the strangest race in Olympic history.