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First Publication in The Knickerbocker
- When
- 1847
- Where
- New York City
The riddle joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?" appeared in an 1847 edition of The Knickerbocker, marking its earliest known reference.
The joke, an example of anti-humor, was published in the New York City monthly magazine. The answer "To get to the other side" is a simple statement of fact, subverting expectations. This publication established the joke's origin within the magazine's cultural milieu.
Sources
- Why did the chicken cross the road? Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-23
- The Knickerbocker Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.