February 25, 1751

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Joel Byers

On This Date in TWISTED-HISTORY.com! in 1751, the first performing monkey was exhibited in America in New York City. For 1 cent, people could watch Manny the Monkey play a musical instrument, ride a goat while wearing a clown costume and hit people with a bladder tied to a stick while smoking cigarettes given to him by the crowd. Because of Manny’s success, Chim-Chim the Theatric Chimpanzee was soon brought to New York to compete with him and Chim-Chim was advertised as being able to recite various scenes from Shakespeare, while riding a pig (when the pig was willing and the Chimp wasn’t drunk) and wear a Lord’s costume and drink any whiskey and smoke any cigar that the paying public provided and for an extra but affordable fee, he’d throw his feces at a select person in the crowd. It soon became public knowledge that Manny and Chim-Chim hated each other with a furious passion and could not occupy the same building without a screaming monkey fight breaking out. Later when Manny the Monkey was found dead in his cage, the public assumed that he’d died of old age and drinking too much liquor, but Manny’s handler always claimed that the old monkey could handle his gin and that Chim-Chim must have had someone poison Manny’s bottle. The police never investigated and Chim-Chim retired the king of the New York monkey entertainment circuit.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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2 Responses to February 25, 1751

  1. Munkie C. Monkidoo says:
    February 25, 2014 at 9:53 am

    The failure of the police to fully investigate this terrible crime is a complete travesty!

    Manny deserves justice.

  2. Lancelot Link says:
    February 25, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    I’m looking into it, Munkie.

    I’m not at liberty to say more than that, but I am looking into it.

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