Throughout history, explorers have disappeared while searching for unknown lands, hidden civilizations, and new routes. Some left behind clues, but their final moments remain one of history’s greatest mysteries.
1. Percy Fawcett
British explorer Percy Fawcett disappeared in 1925 while searching for what he believed was an ancient lost civilization deep in the Amazon rainforest.
Fawcett, his son Jack, and his son’s friend Raleigh Rimmell entered the Brazilian jungle and were never seen again. Numerous expeditions have searched for answers, but the mystery surrounding their fate remains unsolved.
2. Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real
Portuguese brothers Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real disappeared during early Atlantic voyages in the early 1500s.
Gaspar vanished while searching for new lands, and Miguel later disappeared while attempting to find him. Their expeditions may have reached parts of North America, but exactly what happened remains unknown.
3. Ludwig Leichhardt
German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt attempted to cross Australia’s interior in 1848 with a small expedition team.
The group vanished completely. Despite years of searching and occasional discoveries of possible clues, no confirmed explanation for their disappearance has ever been found.
4. Jean-François de La Pérouse
French naval explorer La Pérouse disappeared in 1788 while leading a major Pacific expedition.
His ships vanished after leaving Australia, and the mystery lasted decades until wreckage was discovered on reefs near the Solomon Islands in the 1820s.
5. Sir John Franklin’s Expedition
In 1845, British explorer John Franklin set out to find the Northwest Passage through the Arctic.
His two ships became trapped in ice, and all 129 crew members eventually died. Later discoveries revealed clues about the expedition, but many details of their final years remain debated.
6. George Bass
British explorer George Bass disappeared in 1803 while attempting a long voyage across the Pacific.
Bass had helped map Australia’s coastline, but after leaving Sydney, he was never heard from again. The fate of his ship and crew remains one of Australia’s enduring maritime mysteries.