The Bermuda Triangle's borders are as flexible as Silly Putty in the summer On December 5, 1945, a group of five U.S. Navy bombers left the Naval Air Station at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It was a clear day, and the war had been over for months, so no one suspected that anything would go wrong. That is, until all five planes vanished without a trace. The disappearance went largely unnoticed until 1962, when writer Allan W. Eckert resurrected the story, looking for a supernatural explanation for the pilots' last incoherent messages: "Everything is wrong. We can't be sure of any direction. Everything looks strange, even the ocean." Even then, the story didn't take off until 1964, when author Vincent Gaddis connected the missing planes to other mysterious disappearances in the area he called "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle." Now, to most people, it wouldn't seem odd that a vast stretch of open ocean would, over the centuries, be a place for ships to sink and planes to crash, but Eckert and Gaddis (among many, many others) aren't "most people." They see the Triangle (whose dimensions can stretch and contract as needed) as a mystical place where otherworldly forces transport victims to other dimensions or simply destroy their ships and planes, despite any conclusive evidence. Believers in the Bermuda Triangle claim that aliens or the lost city of Atlantis cause vessels to vanish -- not their sloppy research that puts ships inside the Triangle when they were never there, or dismisses poor maintenance in favor of UFO abductions. Nor do they account for the hundreds of vessels that pass safely through its vaguely defined boundaries every week -- or for the island of Bermuda itself, which hosts thousands of tourists annually who never experience anything odder than a sunburn. But Triangle believers don't let things like reality get in their way. Bigfoot, the Masons, the Philadelphia Experiment, UFOs, the Mayan calendar, the moon landing -- even the conversion to digital television -- are all fodder for conspiracy theorists, for whom a straight line is never the shortest distance between two points. They find it far more interesting to leap to conclusions, make wild speculations, and create connections between wildly divergent topics. Now, we're not saying that there aren't some things that can't be explained: the Tunguska event, the identity of Jack the Ripper, the continuing popularity of Will Ferrell. But most of the time, Occam's Razor applies, and the simplest explanation is the correct one. Planes run out of fuel and crash; ships hit storms and sink. End of story. There's nothing in the "Bermuda Triangle" area that's any more unusual than any other part of the Atlantic. Of course, considering that at least one map of the Triangle shows the entire state of Florida within its confines, it might explain certain otherwise inexplicable events. Suggested Sites... Bermuda Triangle.org - one-stop shopping for oceanic weirdness. The Deadly Bermuda Triangle - Vincent H. Gaddis' article; the one that started all the trouble. U.S. Navy: The Loss of Flight 19 - the official story of the 1945 disappearance. UnMuseum: The "Mystery" of the Bermuda Triangle - debunks the stories. The Bermuda Triangle - a chronological list of things that vanished.

Directory categories: Bermuda Triangle, Paranormal Phenomena, UFOs, Lost Continent of Atlantis, Skeptics

Archived under: 1940s, Anniversaries, Aviation, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, Disappearances, Military, Mysteries, Mythology and Folklore, Paranormal, WWII, Weird Stuff

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Amelia Earhart in 1932 (No, it's not Hilary Swank.) One of the most fascinating women in history -- and one of the most elusive mysteries -- is the story of Amelia Earhart. From her early days as a tomboy in Kansas to her daring aviation adventures, Earhart was always someone who stood out. But in addition to being a pilot, she was also a nurse, a writer, a wife, and a sister, as well as a revolutionary whose life was cut short too soon. Earhart first experienced international life as a nurse in Canada during World War I. After the war, she moved to California, where she took her first airplane ride. Mentored by famed aviatrix Neta Snook, Amelia undertook the lengthy and difficult training being a pilot required. By 1923, she had not only received her pilot's license, but had set the record for the highest elevation reached by a female aviator. Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo transatlantic flight (history's first) led to efforts to find a woman to duplicate the feat, and Earhart was a natural choice. She flew across the Atlantic as part of a team in 1928, becoming an instant celebrity in the U.S., and four years later, flew solo from Newfoundland to Ireland in just under fifteen hours, cementing her place in history. She received numerous international honors, and gained many famous friends, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She later became the first woman to fly solo across the continental United States, as well. Earhart's success on that voyage led her to seek out more exciting opportunities. Her next goal was to fly around the world. After years of planning, Earhart and her co-pilot Fred Noonan set out from Miami in June, 1937. They made numerous stops, eventually arriving in New Guinea in July. But somewhere between there and their next intended stop on Howland Island on Jully 2, 1937, radio contact between the pilots and the ship docked to meet them was lost. Earhart, Noonan, and their plane were never seen or heard from again, despite a massive and expensive search launched by the U.S. government and later financed by her husband, publishing magnate George Putnam. So what happened to Earhart and Noonan? The most likely (and least exciting) explanation is that the plane simply ran out of fuel or experienced mechanical problems and crashed, either into the Pacific Ocean or on a nearby island. But conspiracy theorists and Hollywood have their own ideas. The 1943 film "Flight for Freedom" depicts a fictionalized version of Earhart spying on the Japanese for the U.S. government (which propagated this myth in popular culture). Another theory posits that Earhart and Noonan landed on an island occupied by the Japanese, who then had the two aviators executed. Even more unlikely stories involve faked deaths and secret identities, castaways on a desert island, and (of course), alien abduction -- thanks, "Star Trek." Whatever the truth is, Earhart's life is certainly as fascinating as her disappearance. And now, with the 62nd anniversary of her disappearance, two award-winning actresses are bringing her to life on the big screen. Already this year, we've seen Amy Adams's fanciful and comedic take in "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian," which earned her rave reviews. And come October, two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank will portray Earhart in "Amelia," which (based on the just-released trailer) looks like more Oscar-bait for Swank and her co-stars. These films will hopefully expose Earhart to a whole new generation, reminding all of us of extraordinary woman who should never be forgotten. Suggested Sites... Museum of Women Pilots - Oklahoma City museum dedicated to the lives of Earhart and other female aviators. In Search of ... Amelia Earhart - 1970s TV program hosted by Leonard Nimoy, focusing on Earhart’s disappearance. Amelia Earhart Papers - large collection of Earhart images and documents at Purdue University. The Earhart Project - organization dedicated to discovering the truth about Earhart's last flight.

Directory categories: Amelia Earhart, Aviation History, Conspiracies, Women's History, Biographic Movies

Archived under: 1930s, Adventure, Amelia Earhart, American History, Anniversaries, Aviation, Biographies, Celebrities, Dead Celebrities, Disappearances, Exploration, Explorers, History, Missing Persons, Movies, Mysteries, Urban Legends, Women

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Aerocar at Airventure in Oshkosh, 2008 (Photo by Michael Pereckas) Remember the Future? When everything was going to be clean and bright and efficient? When we'd all be whizzing around in flying cars to supervise our robots or eating meals in pill form? I was reminded of those days that never were when I saw that February 21 was the anniversary of Waldo Waterman's first test flight of his "Aerobile," the world’s first flying car -- in 1937! 1937?! You mean, we've had flying cars for over 70 years, and no one bothered to tell me? And to make matters worse, Glenn Curtis built a flying car in 1917?! (Though, to be fair, that model may not have made it off the ground). Waterman was an aviation genius, but he was never able to make his flying car practical. He built six of them, and only five of those flew -- and only two of those were able to make the first test flight from California to Ohio. Reading about the Aerobile made me wonder if there were any other inventions that were supposed to be parts of the far future, but had actually already existed. Somehow we didn't even notice how big-screen TVs infiltrated our homes or how computers went from filling whole rooms to fitting on our laps. And robots? Most of us still don't have robots to run our space ships or clean our homes (or do we?), but who knew that the first robots were built in 1206(!), or that there were human-like robots in movies as early (or as late, I suppose) as 1920, or that they were walking around the 1939 New York World’s Fair? The more I looked, the more revelations appeared. Personal jet-packs? Done. Death rays? Old hat. Moving sidewalks? Barely worth mentioning. Heck, even Disneyland’s "House of the Future," which showcased such unimaginable gadgets as microwave ovens and PicturePhones became obsolete and was torn down in 1967! While teleportation, man-made food, and interstellar travel still aren’t commonplace, we have to admit we’re glad that such "innovations" as artichoke hair and glass clothing never came to be. Although that head-mounted flashlight does look pretty sweet... Suggested Sites... Wikipedia: Waldo Waterman - the man who invented the Aerobile. Time Magazine's 50 Worst Cars of All Time - really? What's not to like? Wikipedia: Flying Car - a history of airborne autos. Paleo-Future - a look into futures that never were. Tales of Future Past - I have seen the future -- and it didn't happen.

Directory categories: Future Studies, Inventions, Science Fiction, Aviation History, Concept Cars

Archived under: 1930s, Anniversaries, Autos, Aviation, Creativity, Disneyland, Gadgets, History, In Character, Invention, Inventors, Predictions, Science, Science Fiction, Society and Culture, Technology

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Library of Congress 81 years ago today, Charles A. Lindbergh was catapulted from obscurity to being the most famous person on the planet. By becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Lindbergh went from an airmail pilot who'd taken his first flying lessons only five years before to a celebrity beyond all others. In an era when any starlet can grab headlines simply by neglecting to wear underwear, it's hard to fathom just how famous Lindbergh was. 100,000 Parisians turned out just to see his plane land. Four million New Yorkers attended his ticker-tape parade. Songs were written about him. He was Time Magazine's first Man of the Year. A dance (the "Lindy Hop") was named after him. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Ultimately, an estimated 30 million Americans (out of a population of less than 150 million) welcomed the "Lone Eagle" home. But not every fairy tale has a happy ending, and Lindbergh's story had more downs than ups. His first child, Charles Jr., was kidnapped and murdered, an act which lead him into seclusion. He did make appearances, though; some of which were unfortunate for his reputation. On trips to Nazi Germany he made remarks that many took to be anti-Semitic and pro-Hitler; impressions later reinforced by his involvement with the America First Committee, which opposed American involvement in World War II. Lindbergh tried to re-enlist after Pearl Harbor, but his actions had so alienated President Roosevelt that his pleas were turned down (though he eventually flew on combat missions -- as a civilian). After the war, he worked as an airline executive, and won renown for his work in aeronautical engineering and environmentalism. Fittingly for an engineer who was famous for flying solo and living in seclusion, Lindbergh designed both his own grave and coffin and is buried alone under a plum tree on Maui. Suggested Sites... Charles Lindbergh.com - biography, photos, film and audio clips, and more about the Lone Eagle. The Lonely Eagle - examines Lindbergh's involvement in politics before and during the War. Voices of the 20th Century: Charles Lindbergh - listen to Lindy himself speaking after conquering the Atlantic. New York Times: Charles A. Lindbergh - archive of stories about Lindbergh and his legacy. Time 100: Charles Lindbergh - profile of the first worldwide celebrity.

Directory categories: Charles A. Lindbergh, Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, Aviators, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Aviation History

Archived under: American History, Anniversaries, Aviation, Biographies, Celebrities, Charles Lindbergh, Franklin D. Roosevelt, History, Recluses

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Lynyrd Skynyrd's last album cover originally had an eerie image of the band surrounded by flames Thirty years ago this weekend, Southern rock lost part of its family when the plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of gas and crashed into a swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant; guitarist Steve Gaines; and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines, were killed. The other band members were seriously injured. The tragedy came just days after Lynyrd Skynyrd had released "Street Survivors," its sixth album since the band's 1973 debut. The crash added Lynyrd Skynyrd's members to the list of famous musicians who died in plane crashes. Skynyrd are immortalized by their famous (and most frequently covered) Southern rock anthem, "Sweet Home Alabama." Written as a response to "Southern Man," in which Neil Young accused the South of racism, it celebrates the rural roots of Southern rock -- that blend of rock, blues, folk, and country popularized by bands like the Allman Brothers in the 1970s. A Southerner to the end, and always faithful to his inspiration, Ronnie Van Zant was even buried with his favorite fishing pole. Suggested Sites... Everything Lynyrd Skynyrd - official site of the 22 band members who have kept Lynyrd Skynyrd alive. The Original Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ronnie Van Zant's widow keeps the memory of the original band. Plane Crash Info.com - extensive list of all plane crashes from 1908 to the present.

Directory categories: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rock Music, Aviation Accidents, Music Memorials

Archived under: Anniversaries, Aviation, Dead Celebrities, Entertainment, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Music, Rock and Roll

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