14 Unsolved Mysteries That Still Captivate the World

From vanished ships and missing people to undeciphered scripts and eerie natural phenomena, certain mysteries continue to capture public fascination and scientific curiosity. Below are 14 of the most enduring enigmas—each summarized with the key facts, leading theories, and why the puzzle persists.

Bermuda Triangle

This notorious stretch of the western North Atlantic has been linked to numerous disappearances of ships and aircraft. Proposed explanations include rogue waves, navigational errors influenced by magnetic anomalies, and human factors; more speculative ideas invoke extraterrestrial or temporal causes. The U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities say the rate of incidents is not unusually high for busy shipping lanes, yet the area remains a cultural touchstone for mystery.

Voynich Manuscript

An illustrated codex written in an unknown script and language has baffled cryptographers and historians for centuries. Radiocarbon dating places it in the early 15th century, but its purpose—whether a herbal guide, encrypted message, or sophisticated hoax—remains unresolved despite modern computational attempts to decode it.

Amelia Earhart

The pioneering aviator disappeared over the central Pacific in July 1937 while attempting a round-the-world flight in a Lockheed Electra. Extensive searches recovered no conclusive wreckage, prompting theories that she crashed at sea, landed and was stranded on a remote island, or otherwise perished without leaving identifiable remains. New expeditions and re-examinations of archival evidence continue to probe her fate.

Stonehenge

The prehistoric ring of massive stones in southern England remains an archaeological puzzle. Proposed purposes include funerary rites, an astronomical observatory, and a healing or ceremonial center—some theories highlight the perceived significance of bluestones transported from Wales. While recent excavations have clarified construction phases, the monument’s full social and religious context is still debated.

Nazca Lines

Vast geoglyphs etched into Peru’s Nazca Desert depict animals, plants, and geometric shapes visible from the air. Interpretations range from astronomical or calendrical markers to ritual pathways or offerings to deities. Ongoing archaeological work seeks to better understand their creation, chronology, and role within Nazca society.

Atlantis

Plato described an advanced island nation that vanished beneath the sea in a single day and night; most scholars treat the story as philosophical allegory. Still, speculation about a real lost civilization persists, with proposed locations from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and even polar regions. The myth endures because it taps into the human fascination with lost knowledge and sudden catastrophe.

Taos Hum

A persistent low-frequency humming sound reported by a minority of residents in Taos, New Mexico (and similar hums worldwide) has defied definitive explanation. Hypotheses include industrial or mechanical sources, unusual acoustics, auditory health issues, and geological causes. Investigations have yet to produce a universally accepted origin, and reports remain intermittent.

Dyatlov Pass Incident

In 1959 nine experienced hikers died under strange circumstances on the slopes of the northern Ural Mountains in Russia. Conflicting evidence—such as severe but atypical injuries, clothing anomalies, and a tent cut from the inside—has led to theories including avalanche, katabatic winds, infrasound-induced panic, military testing, and more. Multiple reviews have been inconclusive, and the case remains a chilling mystery.

Zodiac Killer

A serial murderer who taunted authorities with ciphers and letters plagued Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some of the Zodiac’s ciphers have been solved, revealing only partial clues; the killer’s identity has never been confirmed despite many suspects and decades of investigation, leaving the case open and subject to continuing amateur and professional scrutiny.

Mary Celeste

The brigantine Mary Celeste was discovered adrift and deserted in the Atlantic in 1872 with cargo and provisions largely intact but no crew. Explanations range from sudden abandonment prompted by perceived danger (such as a feared explosion) to piracy, mutiny, or more dramatic theories. The absence of definitive evidence preserves this as one of maritime history’s most persistent enigmas.

Jimmy Hoffa

Labor leader James R. Hoffa disappeared after leaving a restaurant in Detroit in 1975; his body has never been found. Investigations and extensive speculation point to organized-crime involvement, among other theories, but no conclusive resolution has emerged. Hoffa’s disappearance continues to inspire books, documentaries, and forensic inquiries.

Rongorongo

The glyphic inscriptions carved on wooden tablets from Easter Island remain undeciphered. Scholars debate whether Rongorongo encodes historical records, ritual material, or an alternative system of notation. Without a bilingual inscription or reliable key, cracking the script remains extremely difficult but potentially revelatory for understanding Rapa Nui culture.

Sailing Stones of Death Valley

At Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, rocks leave long, sinuous trails across the dry lakebed, suggesting movement without visible human intervention. Field observations and time-lapse studies indicate a combination of thin ice, water, and wind can push the stones into motion under particular conditions, though researchers continue to refine the exact mechanics and environmental triggers.

Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth that bears the faint image of a crucified man and is venerated by some as the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. Radiocarbon dating performed in the late 20th century suggested a medieval origin, while alternative analyses and debates about contamination and methodology have kept the question of authenticity contested. The shroud remains a focal point for scientific study and religious devotion alike.