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The Prophet Hen of Leeds was a doomsday hoax involving the Second Coming of Christ in England in 1806.

History

In Leeds, England in 1806 a hen began laying eggs with the phrase "Christ is coming" on each one. Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The hoaxster had written on the eggs in acid which etched the eggs. He then reinserted the eggs into the hen.

References

1. "10 failed doomsday predictions". Retrieved 2009-11-12. History has countless examples of people who have proclaimed that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, but perhaps there has never been a stranger messenger than a hen in the English town of Leeds in 1806. It seems that a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase "Christ is coming" was written. As news of this miracle spread, many people became convinced that doomsday was at hand — until a curious local actually watched the hen laying one of the prophetic eggs and discovered someone had hatched a hoax.
2. Charles Mackay (1980). Extraordinary popular delusions & the madness of crowds. Random House. ISBN 0-517-88433-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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