13 Unsolved Mysteries From the 20th Century
We saw amazing developments in technology, medicine, and exploration during the 20th century. But even with all of our advancements, some things continued to defiantly defy explanation.
Decades later, scientists are still perplexed by these mysteries, which range from disappearing planes to mysterious codes. These are 13 puzzling unsolved mysteries from the 20th century that continue to baffle us to this day.
The Somerton Man
A well-dressed man without identity was discovered dead on Australia’s Somerton Beach in December 1948. A piece of paper with the Persian words “Tamám Shud,” which translates to “it is ended,” torn from a rare poetry book was in his pockets.
When investigators found unlisted phone numbers and an uncrackable coded message in the book, the situation became more bizarre. His identity is still unknown in spite of DNA testing and contemporary forensic investigations.
The Wow Signal
Ohio State University astronomers detected an unusual radio signal from outer space in 1977 that lasted for 72 seconds. The signal was so unexpected that scientist Jerry Ehman highlighted the data and wrote “Wow!” next to it.
The signal was in the general area of Sagittarius and appeared to have characteristics common with an alien source. Scientists have never detected anything similar to it, although they have attempted numerous times.
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The Zodiac Killer
In the late 1960s, a serial killer terrorized Northern California, claiming responsibility for 37 murders, even though investigators only confirmed seven fatalities. Newspaper mocking letters and complex ciphers, including one that has remained undiscovered for over fifty years, were sent by the murderer.
There have been innumerable suspects and one of the largest manhunts in American history, yet the identity of the Zodiac has never been proven.
The Max Headroom Broadcast Intrusion
On November 22, 1987, viewers in Chicago watched in disbelief as someone wearing a Max Headroom mask took over their normal broadcast. Strange gestures, rambling words, and a flyswatter spanking were all featured in the unusual 90-second transmission.
Although the FCC opened an investigation, the perpetrators of this complex technical prank were never found.
The Gardner Museum Heist
Two men dressed as police officers entered Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in March 1990 and stole 13 artworks worth over $500 million. The thieves took their time, carefully removing Vermeer’s “The Concert” and works by Rembrandt and Degas.
Empty frames still hang in the museum as a reminder of the missing masterpieces. Despite a $10 million reward, the art remains unrecovered and the thieves unknown.
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The Voynich Manuscript
This medieval codex contains about 240 pages of illustrations and text written in an unknown script. Carbon dating places its creation in the early 15th century, but it rose to prominence in the 20th century when cryptographers and linguists repeatedly failed to decipher it.
The manuscript features bizarre botanical drawings, The Voynich Manuscript and what appear to be recipes. Modern computer analysis hasn’t cracked its contents despite numerous attempts.
The Dyatlov Pass Incident
In 1959, nine seasoned Russian hikers perished inexplicably in the Ural Mountains. The hikers fled barefoot into freezing temperatures when investigators discovered their tent sliced open from the inside.
While some individuals revealed nuclear poisoning, others displayed impossibly severe injuries, such as smashed ribs without any visible trauma. The long-standing mystery was further compounded by Soviet officials’ enigmatic conclusion that their deaths were caused by an “unknown compelling force”.
D.B. Cooper’s Skyjacking
In November 1971, a man who called himself Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines flight, demanded $200,000 in ransom, and parachuted from the aircraft somewhere over southwestern Washington state. Despite the country’s largest manhunt, Cooper was never found, nor were most of the marked bills he received.
The daring midair escape remains the only unsolved air piracy case in American aviation history.
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The Pollock Twins
In 1957, two sisters, Joanna and Jacqueline Pollock, died in a car accident in England. Their parents later had twin daughters named Jennifer and Gillian who allegedly began recalling details from their deceased sisters’ lives.
The younger twins recognized places they’d never visited, asked for toys their sisters had owned, and even had similar birthmarks. The case became famous when psychiatrist Ian Stevenson documented it as possible evidence of reincarnation.
The Lead Masks Case
In 1966, two electronics technicians were found dead on a hilltop near Rio de Janeiro wearing homemade lead eye masks. Beside them lay a notebook with cryptic instructions: “16:30 be at the specified location, 18:30 swallow capsules, after effect protect metals wait for signal mask.”
No toxicology results were obtained as their organs had decomposed unusually fast. Their bizarre deaths and the strange note remain unexplained.
The Taos Hum
Since the early 1990s, residents of Taos, New Mexico have reported hearing a persistent low-frequency humming sound. About 2% of the population perceives this mysterious drone that seems to come from no identifiable source.
Scientific investigations including acoustic studies haven’t found its origin, though theories range from industrial equipment to unusual ear structure in those who hear it. The phenomenon continues to affect residents today.
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The Eilean Mor Lighthouse Mystery
When a relief ship reached the Flannan Isles Lighthouse off the coast of Scotland in December 1900, it discovered that all three keepers had disappeared. The clocks were stopped, the main door was closed, and in spite of the terrible weather outside, one keeper’s oilskin coat was still there.
The last entry in the logbook said: “Storm ended, sea calm. God is over all.” The disappearance of three seasoned keepers from a shuttered lighthouse at the same time was never explained by maritime authorities.
The Tunguska Event
In June 1908, something exploded over Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima bombs, flattening 80 million trees across 830 square miles. The blast registered on seismic stations across Europe, yet left no impact crater.
Expeditions to the remote site found trees scorched on one side and standing like matchsticks pointing away from the blast center. Scientists believe it was likely a meteor or comet fragment that exploded midair, but no significant fragments were ever recovered.
Mysteries That Transcend Time
These 20th-century puzzles represent more than just unsolved cases. They remind us that despite our technological achievements, the world maintains an element of the unknown.
Whether they involved criminal masterminds, paranormal phenomena, or simply bizarre circumstances, these mysteries continue to captivate our imagination and challenge our understanding of reality.
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