10 of History's Most Mysterious Disappearances

Disappearances have haunted human history, leaving behind mystery, speculation, and unanswered questions. Some vanish in plain sight; others in remote corners of the world. These ten cases represent some of the most perplexing mysteries ever recorded.

**Al-Hakim (February 1021)**

Al-Hakim, the 10th–11th-century ruler of Egypt's Fatimid dynasty, rode out of Cairo one night and never returned. Known for erratic leadership—alternating between generous policies and harsh decrees, including forbidding women from leaving their homes—his sudden disappearance remains unexplained. His body was never found.

**The Lost Colony of Roanoke (Late 1580s)**

Approximately 100 English settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island under Governor John White's leadership. When White returned to England for supplies and came back in 1590, he found the settlement empty—all colonists gone without explanation. No bodies, no struggle, no clear evidence of their fate.

**George Mallory and Andrew Irvine (June 8, 1924)**

British climber George Mallory and Andrew Irvine vanished during their attempt to summit Mount Everest. Never seen again after setting out for the peak, their fate remained unknown for decades. Mallory's body was discovered in 1999, but questions linger about whether they reached the summit first and what happened to Irvine.

**Harold Holt (December 1967)**

Australia's Prime Minister disappeared while swimming, triggering the largest search-and-rescue operation in Australian history. Despite intensive efforts, his body was never recovered, leaving the circumstances of his death shrouded in mystery.

**John Cabot (1499)**

Italian explorer John Cabot, who became the second European to reach North America in 1497, vanished during an expedition with a five-ship fleet. Presumed lost at sea while searching for a western route to Asia, his disappearance ended one of Europe's most ambitious early voyages of discovery.