# What unsubstantiated historical event would you like to see verified? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895 "2022-03-11T13:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/61 "2022-03-14T01:38:58Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Simple insurance fraud. > No biggie. But what happened to the crew? It’s near certain Mary Celeste’s crew (and the captain’s family) abandoned the ship in its lifeboat. But we don’t know what happened to them or why they left the boat. It’s a very weird insurance fraud, to say the least, to abandon a perfectly sound ship and not do something to destroy it on your way off. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/62 "2022-03-14T01:44:52Z")
On the subject of history’s famous or infamous characters meeting or not, I would be interested in knowing if any of these guys met in a café in Vienna. > **[1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all lived in the same place](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21859771)** > > A century ago, a single square mile in the capital of the then Austro-Hungarian Empire was home to some of the most remarkable men of the 20th Century. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/63 "2022-03-14T02:10:00Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Was Abraham Lincoln gay Was James Buchanan gay? > [@https://historynewsnetwork.org/blog/144754](#): > > For many years in Washington, he lived with William Rufus King, Senator from Alabama. The two men were inseparable; wags referred to them as “the Siamese twins.” Andrew Jackson dubbed King “Miss Nancy”; Aaron Brown, a prominent Democrat, writing to Mrs. James K. Polk, referred to him as Buchanan’s “better half,” “his wife,” and “Aunt Fancy.” When in 1844 King was appointed minister to France, he wrote Buchanan, “I am selfish enough to hope you will not be able to procure an associate who will cause you to feel no regret at our separation.” > [@lamenting King’s departure](#): > > I am now “solitary & alone,” having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well & not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection. > **[The 175-Year History of Speculating About President James Buchanan's...](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/175-year-history-examining-bachelor-president-james-buchanans-close-friendship-william-rufus-king-180972992/)** > > Was his close friendship with William Rufus King just that, or was it evidence that he was the nation's first gay chief executive? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/64 "2022-03-14T02:50:22Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > > [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > > > Was Abraham Lincoln gay > > Was James Buchanan gay? I’m not gay (or bi) but I have at least one family member who is (out, no doubt, etc.) I think if we knew someone like Abe Lincoln was gay it could change the discussion quite a bit. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2022, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/65 "2022-03-14T02:51:23Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > On the subject of history’s famous or infamous characters meeting or not, I would be interested in knowing if any of these guys met in a café in Vienna. > > [1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all lived in the same place - BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21859771) That is fascinating. I had no idea. Thanks for posting it. ---
**Author:** ![AzFavorite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@AzFavorite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzFavorite)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/66 "2022-03-14T03:07:50Z")
would like to know if Avery killed Theresa H. or if its a frame up… ---
**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:** [March 14, 2022, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/67 "2022-03-14T10:06:23Z")
Piffle. It was the 19th Century! New names & new IDs were easy–especially for rootless wanderers, like many sailors were. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/68 "2022-03-14T14:06:11Z")
I would love to know who DB Cooper actually was and if he survived. (I am 99% sure he died in the parachute jump but I would love to know for certain.) I would also love the true identity of The Man in the Iron Mask and Jack the Ripper. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/69 "2022-03-14T15:44:45Z")
I’d like to know who killed Epstein and that other dude. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/70 "2022-03-14T17:31:37Z")
I wouldn’t mind finding the Ark of the Covenant buried in my backyard. But, I’d like the 10 Commandments, written by the finger of God on the stone tablets, to differ from those recorded in Exodus and Deuteronomy, just to mess with hardcore Christians. Example: I am the Lord thy modest God; Thou shalt not worship me ‘cause I embarrass easily; Prank thy father and thy mother; Remember the sabbath day and make it a kegger; Thou shalt not buzz-kill; Thou shalt not twerk in public; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife unless she is hot… ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/71 "2022-03-15T02:34:45Z")
> **[300 million yen robbery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_million_yen_robbery)** > > The 300 million yen robbery (三億円事件, San Oku En Jiken), also known as the 300 million yen affair or incident, was a robbery that occurred on December 10, 1968 in Tokyo, Japan. A man posing as a police officer on a motorcycle stopped bank employees transferring money and stole 294 million yen. It is the single largest heist in Japanese history. Half a century later, the case remains unsolved. > On the morning of December 10, 1968, four Kokubunji branch employees of the Nihon Shintaku Ginko (Nippon T... One interesting aspect: > There were 120 pieces of [evidence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence) left at the scene of the crime, including the “police” motorcycle, which had been painted white. However, the evidence was primarily common everyday items, scattered on purpose to confuse the police investigation. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/72 "2022-03-15T14:19:51Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Piffle. > It was the 19th Century! > New names & new IDs were easy–especially for rootless wanderers, like many sailors were. But how do you collect the insurance when the ship’s intact? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/73 "2022-03-15T19:53:21Z")
That was a well planned heist and a very interesting read, thanks. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/74 "2022-03-15T20:00:44Z")
The other captain & crew claimed salvage. Insurance company would pay it off. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/75 "2022-03-16T06:28:03Z")
I’d like to know who murdered Jeffrey Macdonald’s wife and daughters in February 1970. Whether it was him, the hippies, or somebody else. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/76 "2022-04-01T19:48:17Z")
> [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](#): > > What happened during the [Dyatlov Pass incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident)? Another clue > **[Researchers Find Another Clue in the Dyatlov Pass Mystery (Published 2022)](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/world/europe/dyatlov-pass-avalanche-russia.html)** > > The mystery of nine hikers who died in Russia has baffled people for more than 60 years. The authors of a recent paper think they’ve found another clue. or if you have paywall problems: [https://archive.ph/i47L4](https://archive.ph/i47L4) ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/77 "2022-04-06T14:20:47Z")
I’d like to know if _The Great Fire of Rome_ was accidental or arson, and if Nero was responsible. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/78 "2022-04-06T14:32:44Z")
I’d like to know who was responsible for the death of the Princes in the Tower: [Princes in the Tower - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_in_the_Tower) and if any of the Amber Room is still intact: [Amber Room - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room) ---
**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:** [April 6, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/79 "2022-04-06T14:33:18Z")
Those are both good ones! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895/80 "2022-04-06T14:51:29Z")
I’d like to know if Alexander Hamilton did indeed purposely shoot high in his duel with Burr. I suspect that he did, since he was a principled man, even advising his son Philip to honorably throw away his shot in _his_ duel. It didn’t end well for either of them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-unsubstantiated-historical-event-would-you-like-to-see-verified/960895.md?page=5)