This
list comprises the most famous unsolved mysteries known to man that really defy
rational explanation or are just outright strange.
1.
Shroud of Turin
The
shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who had apparently
died of crucifixion. Most Catholics consider it to be the burial shroud of
Jesus Christ. It is currently held in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in
Turin, Italy. Despite many scientific investigations, no one has yet been able
to explain how the image has been imprinted on the shroud and despite many
attempts, no one has managed to replicate it. Radiocarbon tests date it to the
middle ages, however apologists for the shroud believe it is in-corrupt - and
carbon dating can only date things which decay.
Prior
to the middle ages, reports of the shroud exist as the Image of Edessa -
reliably reported since at least the 4th century. In addition, another cloth
(the Sudarium) known even from biblical times (John 20:7) exists which is said
to have covered Christ’s head in the tomb. A 1999 study by Mark Guscin, a
member of the multidisciplinary investigation team of the Spanish Center for
Sindonology, investigated the relationship between the two cloths. Based on
history, forensic pathology, blood chemistry (the Sudarium also is reported to
have type AB blood stains), and stain patterns, he concluded that the two cloths
covered the same head at two distinct, but close moments of time. Avinoam Danin
(a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) concurred with this
analysis, adding that the pollen grains in the Sudarium match those of the
shroud.
2.
Mary Celeste
Mary
Celeste was launched in Nova Scotia in 1860. Her original name was “Amazon”.
She was 103 ft overall displacing 280 tons and listed as a half-brig. Over the
next 10 years she was involved in several accidents at sea and passed through a
number of owners. Eventually she turned up at a New York salvage auction where
she was purchased for $3,000. After extensive repairs she was put under
American registry and renamed “Mary Celeste”.
The
new captain of Mary Celeste was Benjamin Briggs, 37, a master with three
previous commands. On November 7, 1872 the ship departed New York with Captain
Briggs, his wife, young daughter and a crew of eight. The ship was loaded with
1700 barrels of raw American alcohol bound for Genoa, Italy. The captain, his
family and crew were never seen again. The ship was found floating in the
middle of the Strait of Gibraltar. There were no signs of struggle on board and
all documents except the captain’s log were missing.
In
early 1873, it was reported that two lifeboats grounded in Spain, one with a
body and an American flag, the other containing five bodies. It has been
alleged that these could have been the remains of the crew of the Mary Celeste.
However, the bodies were apparently never identified.
3.
The taos hum
The
‘Taos Hum’ is a low-pitched sound heard in numerous places worldwide,
especially in the USA, UK, and northern europe. It is usually heard only in
quiet environments, and is often described as sounding like a distant diesel
engine. Since it has proven indetectable by microphones or VLF antennae, its
source and nature is still a mystery.
In
1997 Congress directed scientists and observers from some of the most
prestigious research institutes in the nation to look into a strange low
frequency noise heard by residents in and around the small town of Taos, New
Mexico. For years those who had heard the noise, often described by them as a
“hum”, had been looking for answers. To this day no one knows the cause of the
hum.
4.
Black Dahlia
In
1947 the body of 22 year old Elizabeth Short was found in two pieces in a
parking lot in Los Angeles. According to newspaper reports shortly after the
murder, Short received the nickname “Black Dahlia” at a Long Beach drugstore in
the summer of 1946, as a play on the then-current movie The Blue Dahlia.
However, Los Angeles County district attorney investigators’ reports state the
nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering the murder. In either
case, Short was not generally known as the “Black Dahlia” during her lifetime.
Many
rumours and tales have spread about the Black Dahlia, and the investigation
(one of the largest in LA history) never found the killer.
5.
Comte de Saint Germain
The
Count of St. Germain (allegedly died February 27, 1784) was a courtier, adventurer,
inventor, amateur scientist, violinist, amateur composer, and a mysterious
gentleman; he also displayed some skills with the practice of alchemy. He was
known as ‘Der Wundermann’ — ‘The Wonderman’. He was a man whose origin was
unknown and who disappeared without leaving a trace.
Since
his death, various occult organizations have adopted him as a model figure or
even as a powerful deity. In recent years several people have claimed to be the
Count of St. Germain. (Note that St Germain was never regarded as a saint by
the Roman Catholic Church - the “st.” before his name refers to his alleged
home).
6.
Voynich manuscript
The
Voynich Manuscript is a medieval document written in an unknown script and in
an unknown language. For over one hundred years people have tried to break the
code to not avail. The overall impression given by the surviving leaves of the
manuscript suggests that it was meant to serve as a pharmacopoeia or to address
topics in medieval or early modern medicine. However, the puzzling details of
illustrations have fueled many theories about the book’s origins, the contents
of its text, and the purpose for which it was intended.
The
document contains illustrations that suggest the book is in six parts: Herbal,
Astronomical, Biological, Cosmological, Pharmaceutical, and recipes.
7.
Jack the Ripper
In
the later half of 1888, London was terrorrised by a series of murders in the
east end (largely in the Whitechapel area). The name Jack the Ripper was taken
from a letter sent to a newspaper at the time by someone claiming to be the
killer. The victims were typically prostitutes who had their throats cut and
bodies mutilated. In some cases the bodies were discovered just minutes after
the ripper had left the scene.
The
police at the time had many suspects but could never find sufficient evidence
to convict anyone. In modern times there has even been some speculation that
Prince Albert Victor was the murderer. Even with modern police methods, no
further light has been shed on the murders in recent times. To this day no one
knows who the ripper was.
8.
Bermuda Triangle
The
Bermuda triangle is an area of water in the North Atlantic Ocean in which a
large number of planes and boats have gone missing in mysterious circumstances.
Over the years many explanations have been put forward for the disappearances,
including bad weather, alien abductions, time warps, and suspension of the laws
of physics.
Although
substantial documentation exists to show that many of the reports have been
exaggerated, there is still no explanation for the unusually large number of
disappearances in the area.
9.
The Zodiac Killer
The
Zodiac killer was active in Northern California for ten months in the late
1960s. He killed at least five people, and injured two. He committed the first
two murders with a pistol, just inside the Benecia border. In his second
shooting in Vallejo, he attempted to kill two people, but one survived despite
gunshots to the head and neck. 40 minutes later the police received an
anonymous phone call from a man claiming to be their killer and admitting to
the murders of the previous two victims. One month three letters were sent to
Newspapers in California containing a cypher that the killer claimed would give
them his name. They cypher was decrypted to read:
“I
LIKE KILLING PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH FUN IT IS MORE FUN THAN KILLING WILD
GAME IN THE FORREST BECAUSE MAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL OF ALL. TO KILL
SOMETHING GIVES ME THE MOST THRILLING EXPERIENCE IT IS EVEN BETTER THAN GETTING
YOUR ROCKS OFF WITH A GIRL THE BEST PART OF IT IS THAT WHEN I DIE I WILL BE
REBORN IN PARADISE AND THOSE I HAVE KILLED WILL BECOME MY SLAVES. I WILL NOT
GIVE YOU MY NAME BECAUSE YOU WILL TRY TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP MY COLLECTION OF
SLAVES FOR MY AFTERLIFE EBEORIETEMETHHPITI” The last eighteen letters have not
been decrypted.
While
Arthur Leigh Allen was the prime suspect, all of the evidence was against him
being the killer. To this day the Zodiac murders have not been solved.
10.
The Babushka Lady
During
the analysis of the film footage of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in
1963, a mysterious woman was spotted. She was wearing a brown overcoat and a
scarf on her head (the scarf is the reason for her name as she wore it in a
similar style to Russian grandmothers - also called babushkas). The woman
appeared to be holding something in front of her face which is believed to be a
camera. She appears in many photos of the scene. Even after the shooting when
most people had fled the area, she remained in place and continued to film.
Shortly after she is seen moving away to the East up Elm Street. The FBI
publicly requested that the woman come forward and give them the footage she
shot but she never did.
In
1970 a woman called Beverly Oliver came forward and claimed to be the Babushka
Woman, though her story contains many inconsistencies. She is generally
regarded as a fraud. To this day, no one knows who the Babushka Woman is or
what she was doing there. More unusual is her refusal to come forward to offer
her evidence.
Source:
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