1. Mysteries of World
With the missing Malaysian airlines MH370 leaving the world confused and bewildered, we give you a rundown of some of the world's biggest unsolved mysteries that still manage to captivate us.
2. Amelia Earhart:
One of the biggest aviation mysteries that continues to boggle the minds of both the young and old since she disappeared on July 2, 1937 over the pacific which would be both the longest as well as the first attempt by a woman to do the same. Because of her public persona and fair celebrity status, search efforts were undertaken immediately but to no avail. Theories of her disappearance have been diverse and unending. While many believe that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan ran out of fuel and sank in the ocean, some believe that they crashed on an uninhabited island and ultimately died.
3. Bermuda Triangle:
The Bermuda Triangle, also referred to as the Devil's Triangle, is a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by a line from Florida to the islands of Bermuda. It is one of the biggest mysteries of our time as several ships and planes seem to mysteriously disappear over that particular area. Several theories have cropped up including some magnetic force and methane eruptions from the ocean floor. Some bizarre theories have even gone as far as speculating some advanced race living underwater or in space that have a hand in this!
4. Yeti:
Tales of the Yeti or the 'abominable snowman' have been recorded and spoken about and even sent cryptozoologists in a tizzy but no one has ever come close to identifying the mythical creature. Though there have also been several reports and photographs and other traces of a large creatures footprints over open snow lands, no physical body has ever been found. Several studies have even claimed that the Yeti (or Bigfoot or sasquatches) might be an ancient relative of humans who is somehow thriving in complete solidarity.
5. Lochness Monster:
The very popular sea monster known to live in the deep, daunting depths of Loch Ness in Scotland, the Lochness Monster could debatably be one of the most talked about mysteries of the world. Thousands of people flock religiously to Loch to catch a glimpse of this mysterious creature. There have been several theories concerning the Lochness monster, while some believe that it might be a survivor from the dinosaur family, others are convinced that it's a cryptic beast dwelling in the depths of the ocean.
6. Lost city of Atlantis:
The mystery of the lost city of Atlantis still manages to hold the curiosity of people across the Globe. It is believed that simple, virtuous people once populated the island of Atlantis, but as the land started getting corrupted, Greek God Zeus gathered the other God's and in a surge of anger and violence, the entire city and its people were swallowed completely by the sea. Evidence of Atlantis being a real place can be found in Plato's writings and have sparked debates and controversies for centuries.
7. The Mary Celeste:
This continues to be one of the most discussed mysteries of the world. When the unguided ship was discovered, the ship's only lifeboat was missing and there was a six month supply of food and water, but no a single soul on board. What really happened to the ten people aboard the Mary Celeste? Such has been the mystery of the Mary Celeste that its inspired documentaries, TV series and even books. The mystery, however, remains unsolved.
8. Jack the Ripper:
The mystery of this killer has kept the world enthralled since he first struck roughly around 1888. The name stuck on when a letter written by someone who claimed to be the murderer was widely circulated by the media. Extremely brutal and mainly involving female prostitutes, the murders were never solved and the killer was never caught.
9. The Taos Hum
In the small town of Taos, New Mexico, there is a certain buzz often heard on the horizon that can be compared to the sound of a distant diesel engine. Although it can be heard by the naked ear, various sound detection devices are not able to pick it up. This is known as the Taos Hum and up to this day, no one still knows how this sound is being created.
10. Nazca Lines
On an isolated, arid plateau in southern Peru, the wind almost never blows. In this place, around the year 400 to 650 AD, the people of the Nazca culture began to remove the red stones covering the ground, leaving the white earth beneath visible. The art they created is phenomenal. Whilst some of the designs are simple lines, over 70 of the “Nazca lines” are detailed animals such as llamas, monkeys, fish or birds, with the largest designs over 200 m across.
11. Beale Ciphers
There is a legend that in the 1820’s, someone buried in Bedford County, Virginia, a treasure worth over $63 million dollars. The legend originates from a series of three ciphertexts that Thomas Beale entrusted to a friend before disappearing and never to be seen again. The first ciphertext has never been solved, but it is purported to contain the location of the treasure, whilst the second which has been solved details the contents of the treasure. The third ciphertext, also unsolved, supposedly lists the names of the treasures owners as well as their next of kin.
12. The Zodiac Letters
Many of the unsolved mysteries of the world are actually murder mysteries with one of the most infamous cases being that of the "Zodiac Killer". A serial killer operating in California in the 1960’s and 70’s, he sent a series of taunting letters to the local press, referring to himself as “Zodiac” and including a total of four crytograms. In the decades since, only one of these ciphers has ever been decoded. Numerous suspects have been investigated, but despite the enormous man hours that went into the investigation, both the murders and the letters remain unsolved.
13. Kryptos
On November 3, 1990, a new sculpture was dedicated on the grounds of the CIA in Langley, Virginia. The sculpture was composed of four encrypted messages and entitles “Kryptos” by its creator, Jim Sanborn. In the 25 years since its dedication, three of these encrypted messages have been deciphered, but the fourth remains a mystery. Now known as one of the most famous unsolved codes in the world, the “Kryptos” is a fascinating lure for both amateur and professional cryptanalysts who, despite several clues from the sculptor, have been unable to crack the code.
14. Area 51
Officially, Area 51 is a remote facility used by the United States Air Force. Unofficially, it is a hotbed of rumors and conspiracy theories, mostly relating to UFO sightings. The remote location in Nevada, coupled with its intense level of secrecy (all research relating to Area 51 has been classified “Top Secret”) and its close proximity to the “Extraterrestrial Highway” (location of countless UFO sightings) have all combined to make the public deeply suspicious of what really goes on behind the gates of Area 51.
15. Big Foot
Also known as the “Sasquatch”, Big Foot is reported to be a half human/half ape creature that resides in the forests of northwest North America. Described as large (over 2 m tall), hairy and weighing over 200 kgs, Big Foot was known as “Ts’emekwes” by the native Lummi population, long before modern accounts of his existence began to circulate. Although discounted as a myth by most scientists, there have been countless reported sighting of gigantic footprints, roars in the night and fuzzy photographs showing giant beast like creatures.
16. Big Cats in Australia
The last one of the unsolved mysteries of the world in our list is the big cats in Australia. For the last 100 years, there have been semi-regular sightings of what appear to be exotic big cats roaming the bush in Australia. Theories as to how they got there include stories of circus train crashes, US Airmen keeping them as mascots during WWII then releasing them into the wild, as well as feral domestic cats growing to unheard of proportions out in the bush. The most famous is the “Gippsland Phantom Cat”, which was shot by a local hunter in 2005.
17. Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich manuscript was written in a language that men through the centuries have tried to decode to no avail. The only idea anyone has of its origin are the drawings found on various pages.
18. Georgia Guidestones
Also identified as the American version of Stonehenge, the Georgia Guidestones located in Elbert County are shrouded in mystery, although they were erected only in 1979. Written on the walls are 10 “new commandments” written in English, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, China, Russia, and Spanish although no one is sure why or for whom they were meant.
19. Rongorongo
In the mysterious Easter Islands where the moai stands, a set of glyphs have been discovered, called the Rongorongo. These glyphs have never been deciphered although they may contain clues concerning the huge heads found scattered around the island.
20. Stonehenge
While Stonehenge is a very fascinating structure due to the big rocks that stand atop one another, the biggest mystery isn’t how it was created but why.
21. Shroud of Turin
The shroud containing an imprint of a human face has been one of the main focuses of Christian research, as many have suggested that the person’s face in the shroud could be Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
22. Extraterrestrials
From the mysteries found in the Eastern Islands, to the Bermuda Triangle, and even with the Roswell Incident during World War II, men have always been in question as to whether we are not alone in the universe. With some claiming to have been abducted and others calling hogwash, there is as of yet no consensus.
23. Severed Foot Beach in British Columbia
is not uncommon for bodies to wash up on beaches but for one beach in British Columbia severed feet have consistently been floating ashore for the past several years causing numerous theories to be put forth.
24. Lal Bahadur Shastri
He died an unexplainable death since he left the country healthy. Many have claimed that he died of heart attack, but the doctors and other specialists who have checked him out, including his wife, confirmed that he was A-okay. His wife had also made the assertion that the Tashkent Pact, upon signature, gave the chance for him to be poisoned. This was never proven since there was no post-mortem diagnosis of the body so every assumption that could be answered were already included in the grave.
25. Aluminum Wedge of Aiud
Back in 1974, a group of workers in Romania discovered three different objects 10 meters deep in a sand trench. Two of the items were prehistoric elephant bones that have been dated as old as 2.5 million years ago. The third object however, is an aluminum wedge that was found together with the ancient bones. This discovery dumbfounded most researchers, as aluminum was difficult to create even by 19th century standards. While some call it evidence of extraterrestrials, others are calling it a hoax. Whatever it is, we may never know.
