5 Most Mysterious Unsolved Cases in Mankind’s History
1. The Disappearance of Roanoke Colony Settlers: After the failure of the first settlement led by Ralph Lane in 1585 due to lack of supplies and poor relations with the local Native Americans, Lane Abandoned the colony and left. In 1587, a group of white immigrants arrived at Roanoke Island (an island which is located off the coast of Modern-day North Carolina) and founded Roanoke Colony. Under the leadership of John White, the immigrants sought to establish an English presence in the new world. But, they were unaware of the Catastrophe which would make the whole colony a haunting mystery for others.
The Colony faced challenges to fulfil the requirement of supplies and for this, John White got back to England with flagship pilot Simon Fernandes to get the required supplies back for his colony in 1588. During his visit to England, the Anglo-Spanish war outbreak delayed his mission for nearly 3 years and he returned to his colony in 1590 instead of 1588. After he finally arrived in 1590, he found no trace of his people.
The whole colony was abandoned and the cryptic word “CROATOAN” was found carved on the Stakewall and trees. John White interpreted it as settlers went to “CROATOAN Island” (An unknown island by John White and Others). But still, many questions arose after this. Why they went there? How did they settle the fare? Who helped them to go there? And the most important is where is the CROATOAN Island? Many even raised the question of whether they were targeted by Native Americans or other unknown groups. But even after investigation by researchers and historians to this day, nothing was found. And, the disappearance of Roanoke Colony Settlers still remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of Early American history.
2. The Incident of Dyatlov Pass: The Dyatlov Pass Incident is a disturbing and baffling occurrence that occurred in Russia’s Ural Mountains in 1959. Igor Dyatlov led a group of nine experienced hikers to the peak of Otorten, a mountain in the northern Urals. However, they never returned alive.
When search parties were dispatched to find the hikers, what they discovered was both shocking and perplexing. The hiker’s tent was discovered torn apart from the interior as if they had fled in a hurry. Despite the frigid weather, the hikers’ bodies were dispersed over the region, some of them half-clothed and barefoot. Furthermore, several of the bodies had severe interior injuries, such as fractured skulls and broken bones. But to their surprise, there were no external signs of Trauma.
Numerous theories have emerged in response to the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Some speculate that the hikers fled their tent in a frantic bid to escape an avalanche or natural disaster. Others postulate more supernatural explanations, such as UFO sightings, covert military operations, or even encounters with the Yeti or other unidentified monsters. However, none of these theories have been verified conclusively.
The case remains open and unsettled, with numerous unanswered questions. What caused the hikers to ditch their tent? What caused their severe injuries? Due to a lack of definitive solutions, the Dyatlov Pass Incident has remained a source of conjecture and interest. It is one of the most persistent and mysterious unsolved cases in the outdoor exploration world.
3. The Mystery of Elisa Lam’s Disappearance and Murder: The Elisa Lam mystery centres around the strange circumstances surrounding her disappearance and eventual murder in 2013 at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. The publication of the lift security film, which showed Lam showing unusual and unpredictable behaviour, drew worldwide attention to the case.
On January 26, 2013, Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian student, checked into the Cecil Hotel. Her family, however, reported her missing after a few days. A large search began, and the inquiry took an unusual turn when security footage from the hotel’s lift was made public.
In the security footage, Lam was seen acting abnormally, hitting various buttons and making weird hand gestures. She looks to be conversing with someone or something outside the lift, despite the fact that no one is visible. The video sparked significant debate and suspicions regarding her mental condition and possible supernatural activity.
On February 19, 2013, Lam’s body was discovered in one of the hotel’s rooftop water tanks. The tank was connected to the hotel’s water supply system and was difficult to reach. Her death was judged an accident due to drowning, with her bipolar disorder noted as a contributing factor.
However, the circumstances leading to Lam’s death and the weird security footage of the lift have fostered conspiracy theories and intrigue. Some suspect foul play including suspicions of a cover-up or hotel employee participation. Others, citing the hotel’s dark past and occasional hauntings, postulate supernatural or paranormal components.
Despite intensive investigations and media coverage, the precise sequence of events that led to Lam’s death remains unknown. The story continues to draw the public’s attention, with many people eager to know what happened to Elisa Lam in her final days at the Cecil Hotel. But still, there is no suspect or evidence about the case and finally, it became one of the greatest unsolved mysteries.
4. The Disappearance of MH370: The loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, often known as MH370, is one of aviation’s most perplexing mysteries. The Boeing 777 plane went missing on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China, with 239 passengers on board. Despite numerous searches, the jet and its occupants remain unaccounted for, leaving a slew of unresolved questions and heartbreak for the families concerned.
The aircraft took off on time from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with the crew and passengers seemingly ignorant of the tragedy that lay ahead. Communication with air traffic control was routine until about 40 minutes into the trip when it abruptly stopped. According to radar data, the jet made an abrupt and unexpected manoeuvre to the southwest, deviating from its planned route. This change in direction raised immediate concerns and international search operations.
The initial search efforts mainly focussed on the South China Sea, the location where they had last known radar contact. Following a study of satellite data that revealed the jet had been kept flying for several hours after its last known contact, the search area expanded to enormous areas of the Indian Ocean as days went into weeks.
Several countries and organisations helped in the search, sending planes, ships, and submarines to scan the ocean’s surface and depths. Because of the vastness and remoteness of the Indian Ocean, the search operations were extremely difficult. Despite the deployment of modern equipment, such as underwater drones and sonar monitoring, no substantial aircraft debris or wreckage was discovered for several years.
The absence of concrete proof prompted tremendous presumptions and an abundance of ideas about what happened to MH370. Some speculated that the jet was deliberately diverted and flown off course, implying purposeful acts by one or more people on board. Others speculated that mechanical faults, such as a catastrophic fire or structural breakdown, might cause the plane to crash. Hijacking, terrorism, and even an unintentional shoot-down by armed forces were all possibilities.
In 2015, a piece of wreckage came up on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, subsequently proven to be a flaperon from MH370. This finding confirmed that the plane had fallen into the water, but it offered little to throw light on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
The countries like Malaysia, Australia, and China together headed the official inquiry, which continued to analyse available data, including satellite communications and aircraft performance. In 2018, an independent assessment stated that the lack of evidence made it impossible to find the cause of the disappearance. However, the audit highlighted flaws in air traffic control methods and suggested improvements in detecting planes in distant places.
The fate of MH370 and the reasons for its disappearance remain a perplexing mystery to this day. The impact on the passenger’s and crew’s families and loved ones has been enormous, as they continue to seek closure and answers. This incident made the disappearance of MH370 an unsolved mystery in the present-day world.
5. The Disappearance of Tara Calico: Tara Calico’s disappearance in 1988 is a disturbing and unresolved mystery that has left a web of intrigue and supposition. Tara Leigh Calico, a 19-year-old girl from Belen, New Mexico, went missing on September 20, of that year, and her fate is still unknown.
Tara headed out borrowing her mother’s pink bike for her usual bike ride along Highway 47 on that fateful day. She intended to pedal a 36-mile loop, but she never returned home. Tara’s mother was concerned when she did not return and alerted the authorities. A huge search was started, involving law police, volunteers, and media coverage.
A disturbing discovery was uncovered months after Tara’s abduction. In Port St. Joe, Florida, a Polaroid snapshot was discovered in the parking lot of a convenience store. The photograph depicted two unnamed young people, a young woman thought to be Tara and a little boy, who seemed to be chained and gagged. Despite great attempts, the names and locations of these individuals remain unclear.
The case received a lot of media attention, and Tara’s family worked hard to keep her tale alive. Several tips and leads arose throughout the years, but none resulted in a breakthrough in the inquiry. The circumstances surrounding Tara’s disappearance, as well as the significance of the horrific photos, have confused investigators and sparked numerous ideas.
Theories about Tara’s disappearance span from kidnapping to human trafficking, with some suggesting she was a victim of a local crime or was targeted by an unknown assailant. However, the truth remains unclear in the absence of specific evidence.
Tara Calico’s case has not been forgotten, despite the lack of a settlement. Her family is still looking for answers, and the investigation is still open, awaiting any fresh information that can throw light on her location. The snapshot recovered in Florida is a chilling reminder of a young woman who vanished without a trace. This case in a span of time has become another unsolved mystery in mankind's history.
