A Public Execution Gone Wrong
In 1650, Anne Greene, a 22-year-old English servant, was sentenced to death by hanging in Oxford for the alleged murder of her newborn child. She claimed the child was stillborn, but her pleas were ignored. On December 14, she was hanged in front of a crowd, and her body was left dangling for 30 minutes to ensure death.
The Unthinkable Survival
After being cut down, Anne’s body was taken to the University of Oxford for dissection. As medical students prepared her body, they noticed faint signs of life—a weak pulse and shallow breathing. Shocked, they immediately worked to revive her, using warmth, massages, and even pouring hot liquids into her mouth.
A Second Chance at Life
Miraculously, Anne regained consciousness and fully recovered within days. Her survival was seen as divine intervention, and she was pardoned by authorities. She later married and had three children, living a full life after her brush with death.
A Medical Marvel
Anne’s case became a subject of fascination for physicians and scholars, contributing to early medical understanding of resuscitation and the human body’s capacity for survival. Her story remains one of history’s most extraordinary tales of survival against all odds.
In 1650, Anne Greene, a 22-year-old servant, was hanged for alleged infanticide. Declared dead, her body was taken for dissection—until she shocked everyone by waking up. 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/VstszchEOj
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) March 5, 2025