When high-profile people disappear without a trace, it often enthralls fans and investigators. But sometimes, when everyday people disappear, it can be every bit as fascinating and puzzling.Here are some of history’s most mystifying disappearances, from public figures to normal citizens.
Amelia Earhart was already famous for her aviator skills when she decided to be the first woman to fly around the world. She completed a solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932, and in 1935, she flew alone from Hawaii to California.
The Roanoke Colony, which used to be in what is now North Carolina, is well-known for disappearing without a trace. Governor John White established a community of 100 residents before returning to England for supplies.
Five Navy aircraft left U.S. Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Dec. 5, 1945, for a routine training flight. They were supposed to conduct bombing practice off a reef now in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and return to base after flying over Grand Bahama Island.
On Nov. 24, 1971, a man whose ticket said his name was Dan Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727 flying from Portland to Seattle. He ordered pilots to land at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, where he collected a ransom of $200,000 for the passengers and a parachute.