Few things are better than a good unsolved mystery to ignite the imagination. With a tricky puzzle to solve, we can keep ourselves entertained running down leads for ages, no matter if it’s a murder mystery, a strange occurrence in the sky, or a missing boy.
That’s why we’ve put together the 18 craziest, most bizarre unsolved mysteries — from UFOs abducting pilots to a laughing epidemic. These are sure to tickle your imagination!
1. The Valentich Disappearance
A self-proclaimed “flying saucer enthusiast,” 20-year-old Frederick Valentich disappeared on a solo training flight. During the trip, he radioed air traffic control to report another aircraft flying about 1,000 feet above him, adding that his own engine had begun running loudly and roughly. Suddenly, he then uttered, “It’s not an aircraft.” He was never heard from again.
2. Secret Umbrella Murder
3. Chicago Tylenol Murders
4. Toynbee Tiles
Found in major cities around the U.S. and South America, the “Toynbee Tiles” are embedded in roadways seemingly overnight. They first appeared in Baltimore in 1984, and people have been trying to decipher their meaning ever since. “Toynbee” possibly points to the book Fahrenheit 451, while the other references might have something to do with Stanley Kubrick. To date, though, no one knows who leaves the tiles or how they manage to do it.
5. Highway of Tears
6. Hotel Entity
7. KFC Killer
8. Tanzanian Laughter Epidemic
Starting with three girls at a school of 195 pupils in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, the giggles soon spread to half of the other students, many of whom couldn’t stop chuckling for two weeks. This caused the school to shut down, sending the students home to pass on the “disease.” Soon, the same laughter spread across the country, “infecting” 14 schools and over 1,000 people.
9. Townwide Murder
10. Axeman of New Orleans
11. New York Killer
12. The Dog Suicide Bridge
Since the 1950s, at least one dog every year has jumped off Overtoun Bridge in Scotland. Though a man once threw his newborn baby over the side, there have been no other deaths, let alone mysterious ones. And yet, dogs continue to leap off the bridge for no good reason.
13. Tree Trunk Murder
14. Code Breaker Murder
15. German Massacre
16. Garnell Moore
17. Little Lord Fauntleroy
18. Bear Brook State Park
(via Cracked)
Our favorite has to be #14 with the unbreakable code. How did he decompose so quickly? How did someone come up with a code no one can break? So many questions!