Running around ‘like a headless chicken’ might evoke chaos, but one chicken embodied it for quite a while.

Mike the Headless Chicken was initially just Mike the Chicken until he embarked on a journey reminiscent of Chicken Run.

However, unlike the ill-fated Edwina from the animated film, RIP Edwina, Mike defied the odds after facing ‘the chop’.

On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of Colorado, USA, went to fetch a chicken for dinner and chose Mike, a Wyandotte chicken about five and a half months old.

To Olsen’s astonishment, Mike remained alive despite having his head axed off.

Typically, a chicken can twitch and move briefly after decapitation due to nerve activity, but Mike’s survival was exceptional.

In response, Olsen fed him a blend of milk and water via an eyedropper, along with scraps of corn and worms.

Remarkably, Mike exhibited typical chicken behavior, attempting to groom, scratch, peck, and even crow, albeit with a peculiar gurgling noise.

Mike became a popular attraction, touring with other curiosities and appearing in magazines, generating substantial income for his owner.

His fame peaked, bringing in a remarkable $4,500 monthly, equivalent to over $72,000 today.

Tragically, Mike met his demise in 1947, choking on a corn kernel, though his owners claimed he was sold.

But how did Mike endure?

One theory suggests Olsen’s axe missed Mike’s jugular vein, preventing immediate bleeding.

Moreover, Mike’s brainstem and one ear survived, enabling basic functions and mobility.

Combined with residual balance organs, Mike could walk and maintain equilibrium.

To honor his legacy, Colorado still commemorates ‘Mike the Headless Chicken Day’.