Jimmy Hoffa: Still missing Ambrose Bierce was a cynic, a muckraker, and a satirist. In the late 19th century, it would have been hard to find a more famous writer and journalist. Unfortunately, most of his works have been neglected in the 21st century. The most salient fact about him: in 1913, while traveling with Pancho Villa's army in Mexico, he disappeared without a trace. Bierce was hardly the first or last celebrity to utterly vanish, but since today would have been his 166th birthday, we couldn't help but be reminded of some of those other missing celebrities. The roster includes such notables as Judge Joseph Crater, an associate justice on the New York Supreme Court. Crater had led a more-or-less unremarkable life (despite some shady connections and extramarital affairs) until one night in 1930, when he got into a New York taxicab and became famous for never being seen again. Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was the most famous female pilot in the world when she set out on an attempted around-the-world flight in 1937. She made it as far as the South Pacific before sending an emergency message that she was low on fuel. Her plane disappeared and despite weeks of searching (and hundreds of rumors), neither she nor the plane have ever been found. In recent years, the gold medal for vanishing acts must go to Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa, the former boss of the powerful Teamsters union, had numerous mob ties until he took a powder in 1975. Numerous theories have been offered as to his final disposal and whereabouts, which have ranged from suburban Detroit to the New Jersey Meadowlands. But despite countless tips, books, and investigations, no one knows -- or if they do know, they're not talking. "Dead men tell no tales," indeed! Suggested Sites... The Ambrose Bierce Site - original art, fiction, drama, and essays about Bierce. What Happened to Judge Crater? - all about the "missingest man in New York." Amelia Earhart.com - official site with biography, photos, quotes, and accomplishments. truTV Crime Library: The Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa - as many of the facts as we know. Wikipedia: List of People Who Have Disappeared - includes those who were famous before and after they vanished.

Directory categories: Ambrose Bierce, Judge Joseph Force Crater, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa, Missing Persons

Archived under: Amelia Earhart, American History, Birthdays, Celebrities, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, Crime, Dead Celebrities, Disappearances, Jimmy Hoffa, Missing Persons, Murder, Mysteries, Unsolved Crimes

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