American Unsolved Mysteries
Table of Contents
The assassination of JFK. The masonic architecture of The Capitol. The coded map of The Declaration of Independence from “National Treasure”. We’re all familiar with these mysteries of American History. However, the mysteries listed below might not be as well-known, but are just as interesting.
Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
July 1937. Pacific Ocean. After making her last radio transmission, Amelia Earhart – the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic –disappears during her planned round-the-world flight. The official version of the accident is that her plane crashed in the ocean, but naturally, there were many theories circulating at the time – ranging from Earhart faking her death to work for the CIA, to abduction by the Japanese.
Black Dahlia.
Location: CA
January 1947. Leimert Park, LA, California. Elizabeth Short is found brutally murdered. The newspapers nicknamed her “The Black Dahlia”. The gruesome crime was never solved, although over 50 people have confessed. The Black Dahlia case was exploited by the entertainment industry on several occasions. The case is one of the oldest unsolved homicide cases in American history.
Kryptos.
Location: Quantico, VA
November 1990. Quantico, Virginia. Kryptos is a sculpture created in 1990 by Jim Sanborn and placed right outside the FBI headquarters. It’s covered in writing that’s been puzzling historians, criminologists and cryptanalysts for over 20 years. The large copper screen contains four encrypted messages, only three of which have been decrypted. The code is considered to be one of the world’s most famous unsolved codes. Fans of Dan Brown might remember it from “The Lost Symbol”.
Death Valley Underground City.
Location: CA
Death Valley is a fascinating place on its own, but it is also believed that there is an underground city called Shin-au-av hidden beneath it. It’s believed to be 5,000 years old and inhabited by an unknown race. The story of the city comes from a Native American legend of the Shin-au-av people. Those who claim to have been there told stories of perfectly preserved mummies and people who wore leather.
The Waffle Rock Boulder.
Location: WV
Some people believe the Waffle Rock Boulder located in West Virginia to be a rare, but a natural example of a naturally occurring pattern. However, the stone has been a subject of speculation for many years – some theories feature aliens, while others are all about giant lizards. Whether it is just a fascinating natural phenomenon or a mysterious artifact left behind by the aliens, we know one thing – the Waffle Rock is not made of waffles!
Roanoke Colony.
Location: NC
The Roanoke Colony, or the Lost Colony, was an attempt by Elizabeth I to create a full English settlement on the American soil. In 1587, she sent a group of people to establish a colony on the land known as Roanoke. 115 men and women stayed behind after the rest of the team left, not finding any evidence of life on land. However, when the English returned in 1590, there was no trace of any of their fellow countrymen anywhere! It was like they were never even there. To this day, we don’t know what happens to them – although of course, there are many theories that feature aliens.
The Bermuda Triangle.
Location: FL
Perhaps the most infamous mystery on the list, the Bermuda Triangle is an area of the Atlantic between Florida and Puerto Rico, responsible for many disappearances. The first disappearance was recorded in 1880 – USS Pickering and the 90 people on board were never found. Naturally, despite the USA’s refusal to acknowledge the geographical name, the Bermuda Triangle has been the subject of many wild theories featuring the paranormal and the supernatural.
Unsolved Mysteries in America
Everyone enjoys a good mystery, and unsolved mysteries are even more intriguing. (After all, The Da Vinci Code didn’t make a ton of money because people are crazy about the Mona Lisa!) With that in mind, here are a few of the top unsolved mysteries in North America—mysteries that may never be solved. Unless, of course, some sleuth discovers the one missing piece of the puzzle that will reveal the truth. Who knows, you might be that someone.
