10 Unsolved Mysteries in the U.S. That Will Make You Question Everything
People love a good mystery. We often wonder about historical enigmas like who was Jack the Ripper or what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The suspense surrounding such mysteries continues to captivate people worldwide.
However, some of the world’s biggest mysteries have already been solved, thanks to advancements in scientific tools and the dedication of researchers.
Certain mysteries that baffled the world for years are no longer unsolved. From historical figures to natural phenomena, many once-perplexing puzzles have been unraveled.
Here are 10 famous mysteries that science has finally solved.
1. Did Anastasia Escape the Bolsheviks?
For years, many believed that Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II, somehow survived the brutal execution of her family in 1918.
A woman named Anna Anderson even claimed to be Anastasia, sparking a whirlwind of media attention and intrigue. Hollywood capitalized on the mystery with a movie in 1956.
However, in 2007, DNA testing put the speculation to rest. Archaeologists discovered the remains of two children in a separate grave near the Romanov family, one being Anastasia.
With the help of DNA samples from Czar Nicholas II’s clothing, scientists confirmed that Anastasia had, indeed, died with the rest of her family.
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2. What’s the Secret of the Bermuda Triangle?
The Bermuda Triangle, a section of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, was once believed to be a hotbed of paranormal activity.
Numerous ships and planes were said to have mysteriously disappeared in the region, leading to a wide range of theories, from extraterrestrial abductions to methane gas eruptions.
But upon closer inspection, it turns out the mystery may have been exaggerated. Investigations, including a comprehensive study by Lawrence David Kusche in 1975, revealed that many of the “disappearances” attributed to the Bermuda Triangle were caused by natural factors such as severe weather and human error.
Today, the U.S. Coast Guard and researchers agree that there’s nothing inherently mysterious about the area.
3. Why Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse?
The ancient Maya civilization flourished for centuries, building grand cities in Central America before mysteriously collapsing in the 700s and 800s C.E. Some speculated that warfare or internal revolts might have caused the fall of this advanced society.
But research conducted in 2012 offered a more grounded explanation. By analyzing environmental data, researchers found that widespread deforestation led to drastic changes in weather patterns.
The loss of forests reduced rainfall and contributed to soil erosion, which in turn led to failed agriculture. With their crops devastated, the Mayan people were forced to abandon their cities.
4. Was ‘Umbrella Man’ Involved in the JFK Assassination?
One of the most perplexing aspects of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was the presence of an odd figure known as “Umbrella Man.”
Seen in photos holding an open umbrella on a sunny day, this man sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Some believed he was signaling the shooters; others suggested he might have fired a weapon concealed in his umbrella.
In the late 1970s, a man named Louie Steven Witt came forward and explained that he was the Umbrella Man. His motive was surprisingly trivial: he had opened the umbrella as a form of protest against JFK’s father, Joseph Kennedy, who had supported British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policies in the 1930s.
The umbrella symbolized Chamberlain, and Witt had intended it as a political statement. No weapons, no conspiracy—just an unusual form of protest.
5. Where Did Stonehenge’s Giant Stones Come From?
The origins of Stonehenge, the iconic stone circle in England, puzzled historians for centuries. The massive stones, known as sarsens, appeared to have been transported from miles away, but their precise origin was unclear.
In 2019, a breakthrough came when researchers were able to analyze a core sample taken from one of the sarsen stones during a restoration project in 1958.
After comparing it to samples from 20 different sites across southern England, they traced the sarsens to West Woods in Wiltshire, just 15 miles away from Stonehenge.
6. What Happened to the Franklin Expedition?
In 1845, British explorer Sir John Franklin set out to find the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic. His two ships, along with 128 crew members, vanished, leading to over 30 search expeditions.
For decades, the fate of the Franklin Expedition remained a mystery, with only skeletal remains and scattered clues to suggest what had happened.
In 2014, a Canadian robotic submarine located the wreckage of one of Franklin’s ships beneath the Arctic ice.
Further research revealed that the crew had become trapped in the ice, with many members dying of starvation and exposure. Some even resorted to cannibalism in their desperate attempt to survive.
7. What Causes the ‘Sailing Stones’ to Move?
For decades, visitors to Death Valley were puzzled by the mysterious “sailing stones” that seemed to move on their own, leaving long tracks behind them in the desert.
Scientists proposed several theories, but none seemed to explain how the massive stones, some weighing as much as 700 pounds, could move without human or animal assistance.
Finally, in 2011, researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography solved the puzzle. The stones move due to a combination of wind and ice.
During winter, a thin layer of ice forms beneath the rocks, and strong winds push them across the lakebed, leaving tracks in the sediment.
8. What Caused the Tunguska Blast in 1908?
The Tunguska event was a massive explosion that flattened 800 square miles of Siberian forest in 1908. For years, scientists debated whether it was caused by a meteor, a comet, or even an alien spacecraft.
Recent research points to a likely culprit: a comet or asteroid exploding in the atmosphere before impact. The explosion’s force, equivalent to 1,000 atomic bombs, devastated the forest but left no visible crater, leading scientists to believe the object disintegrated before reaching the ground.
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9. How Did King Richard III Die?
King Richard III’s death during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 was well documented, but for centuries, historians wondered how exactly the king died.
His remains were discovered in 2012 under a parking lot in Leicester, England, and a forensic analysis of the skeleton provided answers.
Richard III suffered multiple fatal wounds, including blows to the head and injuries to his ribcage and pelvis, likely inflicted after his death.
The analysis also confirmed that the king’s spine was curved, consistent with descriptions of his physical appearance.
10. How Were the Pyramids Built?
For centuries, the construction of Egypt’s pyramids remained one of the most debated topics in archaeology. How did ancient Egyptians move massive stones, some weighing as much as 80 tons, without modern technology?
Recent discoveries suggest that the Egyptians used a system of ramps and sledges, lubricating the sand in front of the sledges to reduce friction. This allowed them to move the enormous stones over long distances, helping to build the architectural marvels that still stand today.