20 Historical Figures Who Mysteriously Disappeared

Ambrose Bierce had already experienced the Civil War, literary fame, journalism, and enough scathing commentary to make him an unforgettable figure. But in 1913, he traveled to Mexico during the revolution and disappeared from public view. To this day, the circumstances of his death are generally considered to remain unclear. 

Allow us to introduce Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who believed that the Amazon might harbor the remains of a lost ancient city that he had boldly named “Z.” In 1925, he ventured deep into the jungle with his son Jack and Jack’s friend, Raleigh Rimmel—and all three disappeared. Search parties set out in pursuit, and theories abounded, but the rainforest kept its secret.

Raoul Wallenberg accomplished the incredible during World War II by saving thousands of Hungarian Jews. He provided them with protective papers and found them safe havens, but in January 1945, Soviet authorities arrested him in Budapest, and since then, his fate has remained one of the war’s most troubling mysteries. Soviet officials later claimed that he had died in prison, but neither investigators nor his family believed this.

The next time you go to the movies, don’t forget this name: Louis Le Prince. He helped create some of the very first film sequences, making him a pioneer long before Hollywood knew what to do with itself. However, in September 1890, he boarded a train from Dijon to Paris and, for some unknown reason, never reached his destination: both the man and his luggage vanished. 

Ettore Majorana was a brilliant Italian physicist whose work remains relevant today in the field of particle physics. Curiously, his sea voyage in March 1938 between Palermo and Naples is shrouded in mystery. He sent some disturbing letters and then disappeared under circumstances that are still the subject of debate. Some have speculated that he took his own life, but no one really knows.

Dorothy Arnold was a wealthy New York socialite and aspiring writer who left her home on December 12, 1910, for a simple shopping trip. She did everything one could imagine to make the day enjoyable: she bought chocolates, stopped by a bookstore, and chatted with a friend… just before disappearing in broad daylight. Her family’s delay in reporting her missing and the private investigation she conducted only served to further complicate the case, and no one knows what happened to her.

Arthur Cravan wore many hats: poet, boxer, provocateur, and Oscar Wilde’s nephew. But none of that mattered, and in 1918, he was last seen in Mexico, where he is said to have set sail alone aboard a small boat. The official story is generally that he “disappeared at sea,” but that could mean many things. 

British diplomat Benjamin Bathurst was traveling through Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars when he stopped at the White Swan Inn in Perleberg. On November 25, 1809, he stepped away while his horses were being saddled, and within moments, he had vanished. Subsequent clues suggested a crime had been committed, but the details of the case were never reported in the press.

La Pérouse led a major French scientific expedition that set sail from Botany Bay in March 1788. It should have been a moment of triumph, but after their departure, the French government received no further news. For years, it was believed that the entire expedition had perished, although debris found later helped to partially shed light on the mystery.

Gaspar Corte-Real was a Portuguese explorer who took part in the first expeditions to the North American coast. In 1501, however, one of his ships did not return from its voyage around Newfoundland, while the other ships had returned to Portugal. His brother tried to find him, but his search was in vain.

As if one tragedy weren’t enough to break one’s heart, Miguel Corte-Real also disappeared while setting out in search of his brother, Gaspar. His ship, too, became separated from the rest of the expedition and never returned, leaving Portugal with two missing explorers within the span of two years. 

Everett Ruess was a young artist and wanderer who spent his life exploring the American Southwest in the company of his donkeys, his sketchbooks, and his love of solitude. In November 1934, he set out near Escalante, Utah, and was never seen again. His animals were eventually found, but that was all. 

Glenn Miller was one of the most famous bandleaders in the United States when he joined the war effort, traveling the world to entertain Allied troops. But on December 15, 1944, the plane he was aboard disappeared over the English Channel, and neither the wreckage nor any bodies were ever found. 

Heinrich Müller, head of the Gestapo, was last seen amid the final chaos of Nazi Berlin in 1945. Unlike many high-ranking Nazi officials, he was never captured, formally identified among the dead, or tried for his crimes. Recent archival documents shed light on the efforts made to locate him after his disappearance, but these efforts came to nothing.

Jean Spangler had everything it took to succeed as a young Hollywood actress and dancer. Unfortunately, she left her home in Los Angeles on October 7, 1949, and the police later found her purse in Griffith Park, with a torn handle and an unfinished note mentioning a certain “Kirk.” Authorities attempted to establish links to the film industry and rumors of organized crime, but Jean Spangler was never found.

Bison Dele did what few professional athletes do: he won an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls before retiring at the age of just 30. Strangely, in 2002, he set sail from Tahiti with his girlfriend, his brother, and a skipper, but only his brother was later found alive. Authorities concluded that Dele and the others had been victims of a criminal act at sea, but their bodies were never found.

Henry Hudson spent years searching for northern passages that would revolutionize European navigation, but it took just one conflict, in 1611, to change everything. Following that fight, the mutineers abandoned Hudson, his son, and several others to drift in a small boat in Hudson Bay. They were never heard from again.

Owain Glyndŵr led a major Welsh revolt against English rule and became the last Prince of Wales born on Welsh soil—which is already an incredible story. However, after 1412, all traces of him grew scarce, and despite generous rewards and multiple opportunities to accept a pardon, he was never captured. Some believe he may have gone into hiding with relatives, but this has never been proven. 

Wallace Fard Muhammad founded the Nation of Islam in Detroit in the early 1930s, becoming an influential figure among his followers. But in 1934, following a series of arrests, pressure, and controversies surrounding the movement, he left Detroit and disappeared. His absence only added to the group’s mystique, prolonging the influence of this mystery long after his departure.

Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer best known for his travels in West Africa and his efforts to travel upriver along the Niger River. During his second expedition, he reached the area near Bussa around 1806, where, according to later accounts, he and his remaining companions are said to have been killed in a skirmish on the river. Later accounts suggest that this is what cost him his life, but this has never been proven.