People Who Disappeared Mysteriously

List of men and women throughout world history who have disappeared under mysterious or unknown circumstances. The list includes the disappearances of all manner of individuals who vanished at various periods throughout human history, including explorers, monarchs and leaders, colonists, philosophers and thinkers, scientists, outlaws and authors. Aviator Amelia Earhart is probably the most famous inclusion from US History, and England's King Edward V may be among its most significant cases in terms of world politics.

These people who disappeared mysteriously present some of the most intriguing historical puzzles around, especially when their unexplained disappearances stay open for years. Mysterious disappearances can vary from suspected political assassinations to cases where somebody goes out in a boat, never to be heard from again. Regardless of the circumstances, they're always fascinating and often tragic.

In some cases, the disappearances were widely discussed and the missing individuals became pop culture icons. (For example, DB Cooper, the unidentified man who, in 1971, hijacked a plan and then parachuted away into obscurity.) In other cases, the people remained obscure and forgotten, such as Louis Le Prince, the influential cinema innovator who disappeared off of a train in 1890.