Over the past few hundred years, mankind has made enormous technological progress. Man was able to walk on the moon, explore deep down in the oceans and uncover DNA, yet there are some unsolved mysteries that continue to baffle the human mind. Below you will find a description of a few of the famous unsolved mysteries that still linger as unfathomable riddles:
10. Dan Cooper
On the Occasion of Thanksgiving 1971, Dan Cooper booked a one-way flight aboard Northwest Orient Flight 305, Once settled on board he gave a note to the flight attendant that was saying “I have a bomb,”. On that note, he also demanded $200,000 and four parachutes.
Both of his demands were fulfilled. The plane was vacated and taken off again. After a while, the captain asked;
“Is everything okay back there? Anything we can do for you?”
Dan Cooper shouted’ “No” and jumped into the storm.
At that time the plane was low enough for an effortless jump. After that Mr. Cooper was never heard from or seen leaving behind many people wondering about the fate he ultimately met.
9. Black Dahlia Mystery
The second mystery is related to the murder of Elizabeth Short, a 22-year-old aspiring actress. She often used to dress completely in black and that is why was known as ‘Black Dahlia’. Like many other young and beautiful girls of that era, she was trying to get a break into the films.
However, one fine day in 1947 she was found murdered, cut into two pieces in a parking lot in Los Angeles. It was a high-profile murder and several suspects were caught by the police but no clue could be found, thus leaving the mystery unresolved till today.
8. The Bermuda Triangle
Whenever man cannot find a solution to an answer he conveniently puts the blame on supernatural powers. Bermuda Triangle at Hoodoo Sea had to meet the same fate. During the 20th century, uncountable ships and vessels disappeared in this devil’s triangle even without a call or trace. In 1964 Vincent Gaddis marked the area forming a triangle on the map.
The area is some 500,000 to 1.5 million square miles, however, according to the experts, it is not the size, but rather some enigmatic force that caused all these mishaps.
Despite, all the progress, human knowledge of magnetism is still limited which is why an authenticated conclusion could not be withdrawn. On one hand, some call it human error while on the other, for some, it’s some supernatural power. The loss of bodies is attributed to the presence of sharks.
Nonetheless, the chances of conspiracy are rare as the weather is quite erratic in the area and it’s sometimes so intense that it could obliterate anything.
7. Loch Ness Monster aka Nessie
One of the three largest nochs located in Great Glen, the total depth of Loch Ness is 750 feet. For more than a century, it is famous for the sighting of the Loch Ness monster by many. Much has been written and said about Nessie, as the monster is popularly called but nothing could be proved.
Many ships have cruised several times and electronically recorded all the happenings but they could not find anything. The scientists though believe that there is nothing like such a monster however, with an open mind they are waiting for some proof. Until then, Loch Ness will remain a mystery.
6. Mary Celeste
The greatest maritime mystery of all time is Mary Celeste. In December 1872, Mary Celeste, a merchant ship was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean. There was no trace of any human being there. The weather was friendly and all the crew members were experienced. The overall condition of the ship was fine and had enough food and water to sustain itself for six months.
Nothing was touched on board, cargo, personal belongings, and valuables all were intact at their places. Nothing was heard or seen of the crew ever again and the disappearance remains one of the greatest unresolved mysteries of all times leaving behind crew fate a topic for speculation.
5. Shroud of Turin
Already too much confusion is found regarding Jesus’ existence ranging from his birth to his role. The Shroud of Turin is just another addition to the list. It is an old linen cloth bearing the illustration profile of a crucified man and it is widely speculated to be Jesus Christ.
This has made the Shroud of Turin the most researched relic. Thousands of hours have been spent studying it. Nonetheless, irrespective of all this in-depth research a definite answer could not be found. But for many, this is an intelligent deception by the artist.
4. Taos Hum
A low-pitched sound is heard in many places all over the world, especially in America, Britain, and Northern Europe; ‘Taos Hum’ is a potential contender on the top ten lists. Mostly it has been heard in quiet and serene places. It is reported to be resembling a far-off diesel engine.
It is usually heard only in quiet environments and is often described as sounding like a distant diesel engine. Since microphones or VLF antennae could not detect it, therefore, it is still a mystery.
3. Carroll A. Deering
This is a story of 31st January 1921, when a schooner ‘Carroll A. Deering’ was found to be calling for help on the North Carolina coast. When rescue ships reached there, they found nothing but a repetition of the 50-year-old Mary Celeste’s episode.
The whole staff of the schooner was missing. From the evidence collected on the scene, it was known that the food preparation for the next day was underway, yet nothing could be found regarding the crew members, their belongings, and documents that could help resolve the mystery such as ship logs.
Again, this missing is attributed to extraterrestrial activity as the ship was in the Bermuda Triangle region. Others gossip that it fell victim to the Russian conspiracy of seizing American ships.
2. Jack the Ripper
In 1888, a wave of terror struck London due to murders in a row, especially in the White Chapel area. All the murders were identical. The victims were prostitutes and their throats were cut and their bodies badly disfigured. A letter was sent to a newspaper, by a man, ‘Jack, the Ripper’ declaring to be the murderer.
In some of these cases, bodies were recovered just minutes after the murderer had fled from the scene; police identified many suspects but never could find ample evidence to prove anyone guilty. Even, in modern-day with all the new method nothing concrete could be found in these murders, and to date Jack the Ripper remains a mystery.
Given the mainstream attention that the murders got from the press at the time, the brutal murder spree is known worldwide. Even today the mystery is discussed widely as several movies and documentaries have been made focusing on this tragedy.
1. President J.F. Kennedy’s Assassination
Most critics agree on the assassination of President Kennedy is at the No. 1 slot not only because it is one of the great unresolved mysteries, but also because of its massive cultural impact. President Kennedy for many was something larger than life and they could not imagine him being killed by a commoner, Lee Harvey Oswald. Many Americans lost their faith in the government. The mystery is still a big question mark on American intelligence and democracy.
Another supplementary mystery related to the murder of J.F. Kennedy is the mysterious Babushka lady who was spotted during the analysis of footage of the President’s murder. She was wearing a scarf on her head in the Russian grandmother’s style which is why she is called Babushka lady. The lady appeared to be possibly holding a camera in her hand.
She was there for quite a long time even after the shooting and it is assumed that she continued the filming. Then she was seen moving toward the east end. FBI issued several appeals to that lady to come forward and contribute to the investigations however, it seems she never did pay heed to these requests for reasons unknown. To date, no one knows who was she and what she was doing there.
Did you like our list of the top 10 unsolved mysteries of all time? Let us know in the comments below!
A nice list of unsolved mysteries. I have personally written on some of them. They are fascinating to tell the least.