# How many people in history have vanished? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623 "2001-06-29T14:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/21 "2001-06-29T22:10:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*“News flash - Amelia Earhart marries Jimmy Hoffa in ceremony performed by Judge Crater and witnessed by Ambrose Bierce and Madalyn Murray O’Hair.” > > —The ring carrier and page were Little Charley Ross and the Lindbergh baby . . . \*\* Glenn Miller played at the wedding reception and the bartender was Michael Rockefeller. ---
**Author:** ![Lazarus\_and\_the\_Gimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lazarus\_and\_the\_Gimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus_and_the_Gimp)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/22 "2001-06-29T22:57:01Z")
Nicky Wire- guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers. However it’s widely assumed he jumped off the Severn Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/23 "2001-06-29T23:28:03Z")
I believe it is only supposed that Ambrose Bierce died in Mexico. There is no proof, AFAIK, that he even made it. I think the Madelyn Murray O’Hare (sp?) case is the most disturbing one that happened recently. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/24 "2001-06-29T23:45:41Z")
Mr. & Mrs. Lindbergh positively identified the corpse of their first born son. No jokes, please. Too sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/25 "2001-06-30T00:03:24Z")
On the History Channel, I heard about a World War 2 general who disappeared. He was part of the invasion of Italy, and after the troops had landed and secured the area he simply walked away from his men and was never seen again. He’s supposedly the only U.S. general to ever be declared Missing In Action. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/26 "2001-06-30T00:44:25Z")
Harold Holt, former Prime Minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming alone at a surf beach near his house south of Melbourne. This happened in 1967 (I think). No trace of him was ever found. There have been many theories advanced as to how and why, including conspiracy theories suggestive of espionage and chinese submarines. The event has since been commemorated in Oz by pub bands who rejoice in names such as “Harold Holt and the Sharks” or “The Harold Holt Memorial Swim Team Band.” ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/27 "2001-06-30T04:05:56Z")
I saw a show lately that said 250,000 children disappear each year. I would guess that approximately as many dead beat dads also disappear each year. So since 1936 those two figures alone would account for quite a large number. Then there is the Bermuda Triangle, UFO abductions, etc. I don’t really mean to be cruel, but who would be keeping count? Most of the children are actually kidnapped by one of their parents, so do you count them all or just the ones that really vanished? I would be more interested in a number like 1 out of 300 than 4,518,908. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/28 "2001-06-30T04:50:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > I saw a show lately that said 250,000 children disappear each year. I would guess that approximately as many dead beat dads also disappear each year. And since some of those children were last seen with females (mothers/legal guardians/other friends and relations), we should really start to wonder where all those dads are going. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/29 "2001-06-30T05:05:10Z")
Michael Rockefeller? Body was never found… I have a Reader’s Digest book of weird shit (forgot the actual title, don’t feel like going to find it) that lists several occurances of people that just walked out into fields and such and disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/30 "2001-06-30T05:43:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \* > \*\*I have a Reader’s Digest book of weird shit (forgot the actual title, don’t feel like going to find it) that lists several occurances of people that just walked out into fields and such and disappeared. \*\* We used to have that book, too. It contained (among others) the case of [David Lang](http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/articles/sa00010a.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/31 "2001-06-30T05:55:29Z")
Well, [dagnabbit](http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/articles/sa00010.shtml)! ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/32 "2001-06-30T06:03:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brandocet \* > \*\* Bierce died in Mexico fighting for the revolution with Pancho Villa. No more mysterious than Jimmy Hoffa or DB Cooper, right? \*\* Actually the hi-jacker gave his name as Dan Cooper, and D. B. Cooper was just some guy who was a suspect for awhile. D. B. Cooper just sounded so much better then Dan Cooper and the press never went out of there way to correct the error. [Dan Cooper](http://www.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/southeast/05/26/philippines.hijack.01/) Scroll down for a brief CNN blurb about it. ---
**Author:** ![WesTheMess82](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@WesTheMess82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WesTheMess82)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/33 "2001-06-30T06:05:52Z")
Adolf Hitler’s body was never found. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/34 "2001-06-30T06:26:29Z")
Also we have several cases here in Hawaii. Somebody goes out hiking and never comes back. There are chillingly several stories of this type. In fact just yesterday there was a local news story about this guy who was last seen hiking on Molokai about 4 years ago. This woman was claiming that she saw him in a shopping market on Oahu. Then there was this guy back packing it on the Big Island, went into the Volcano National Park and was never seen again. Also occasionally you’ll hear about a surfer who disappeared. He goes out and just never comes back. Only rarely do you find anything from them, maybe a piece of a surfboard. Also there’s a fairly famous case that was made into a movie. That sailing one … you know [aside]HOLY COW!!! my name just changed! Cool, I used to be brother rat[fini] Although that was almost certainly murder! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/35 "2001-06-30T06:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Adolf Hitler’s body was never found. Actually, it was - by the Russians, who did an autopsy, buried it, dug it up several years later, moved it a new grave, and finally dug it up, cremated it and disposed of the ashes. See “The Death of Hitler” by Ada Petrova. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/36 "2001-06-30T07:08:54Z")
There is a fascinating (fictional) short story on Benjamin Bathurst, by an author whose name escapes me at the moment, which was reprinted in an Asimov anthology, “Space Mail.” It’s an alternative universe piece, and you find out what really happened to Bathurst - he got teleported into a parallel universe, where the U.S. rebellion failed, the French monarchy still existed, and Napolean was a loyal colonel of artillery in the French army. Unfortunately, “Space Mail” is out of print, according to Amazon, but I’d recommend it for that story alone, if you come across a copy at a used book store. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/37 "2001-06-30T07:24:14Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Northern Piper_ > There is a fascinating (fictional) short story on Benjamin Bathurst, by an author whose name escapes me at the moment, which was reprinted in an > Asimov anthology, “Space Mail.” It’s an alternative universe piece, and you find out what really happened to Bathurst - he got teleported into a parallel > universe, where the U.S. rebellion failed, the French monarchy still existed, and Napolean was a loyal colonel of artillery in the French army. > > ``` > Unfortunately, "Space Mail" is out of print, according to Amazon, but I'd recommend it for that story alone, if you come across a copy at a used book > store. > > ``` The story is _He walked around the horses_ by H. Beam Piper, you can also find it in his collection _Paratime_. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/38 "2001-06-30T07:38:23Z")
That’s it!! Thankx, **detop**! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/39 "2001-06-30T07:42:14Z")
Forgot to add - it’s the twist at the end that made it memorable. (which of course I won’t reveal 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Lazarus\_and\_the\_Gimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lazarus\_and\_the\_Gimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus_and_the_Gimp)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623/40 "2001-06-30T09:34:40Z")
In “Ring of Fire” by Lawrence and Lorne Blair (an account of travel in Indonesia) an account was given of an interview with a tribesman who appeared to admit to killing and eating Michael Rockefeller. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-in-history-have-vanished/70623.md?page=3)