Today we'll talk about the mysterious disappearances of historical figures that occurred before 1800. Many of them still remain unexplained. The stories behind these mysterious disappearances are very different, but they are all tragic and fascinating in their own way.
Henry Hudson faced mutiny and sailed away to be lost forever
Henry Hudson, sea captain, who made two serious attempts to discover the mythical Northwest Passage that could lead to Asia across the North American continent. In 1609, after extensive exploration of Greenland and the surrounding area, the Dutch East India Company hired the Hudson to find a way to Asia, sailing east, north of Russia. But the path was blocked by ice. The traveler then headed west and reached the east coast of North America, where modern Cape Cod and Delaware Bay are. He climbed up the river that bears his name today to Albany, New York.
The Hudson made another attempt to find the Northern Route in 1610. He reached what is now Hudson Bay. Unfortunately, his ship fell into an ice trap. The entire team was forced to spend a harsh winter on land.
When in the spring of 1611 the annoying traveler announced that he intended to continue sailing, part of the team rebelled. They put Henry Hudson and some of his loyal crew members into the boat, brought some provisions with them, and sent them sailing. Nobody saw them again. When the rebels managed to return to their homeland, they were awaited by the trial.
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Spartacus organized the largest slave uprising, but no one knows exactly where and how he died
The most famous Roman slave of Thracian origin. Spartacus led the longest-running slave uprising. Legends about his exploits come mainly from ancient Roman historians. It is believed that he was enslaved by the Roman legions and sent to a school for gladiators. In 73 BC. he led a successful slave uprising.
It all started when a detachment of 70 gladiators captured carts with weapons, recruited other slaves into their ranks and captured the city of Capua.
The Roman army was distracted by aggressive campaigns, so Spartacus easily fought off the initial attempts to suppress the uprising. Mark Licinius Crassus got down to business. He led eight Roman legions of more than 40,000 men into battle. His army pushed Spartacus south, attempts to escape to Sicily with the help of pirates were unsuccessful. The rebels were brutally suppressed at the Battle of the Silar River.
Crassus crucified 6,000 captives, placing crosses along the Appian Way between Capua and Rome. Spartacus's body was not found. the circumstances of his death are unknown.
John Cabot took the wrong course for Japan and sailed away forever
John Cabot (aka Giovanni Caboto) was born in Genoa around 1450. He spent his early years in Venice doing maritime trade throughout the eastern Mediterranean. He had a dream to go to the New World. To do this, he looked for those who could finance the trip, and found patrons in England.
Little is known about Cabot's first voyage to North America, but his second took him to present-day Newfoundland, Canada. For a long time it was considered the first successful European landing in North America. While today we know this is historically controversial, Cabot nevertheless returned to England to great fanfare. A year later, he embarked on another journey west. He departed in May 1498 in the direction of Japan with two hundred people on board and five ships. The fate of the traveler and his crew was unknown.
Thomas Lynch Jr. signed the Declaration of Independence and was lost at sea
By 1779, Thomas Lynch, Jr. had accomplished a lot. Born in South Carolina in 1749, he graduated cum laude from Cambridge and studied law in London.
On the eve of the American Revolution, he returned home. Appointed as a company commander in the South Carolina First Regiment, he resigned, then was elected to Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence. Lynch's health plummeted after this landmark event. In 1779, believing that he needed to change the climate, Thomas and his wife set off on a sea voyage, which was to end in southern France. On the way, we made a stop on the island of Sint Eustatius, in the Antilles. After that, the ship disappeared forever.
Gaspar Corti Real disappeared while exploring the North American coast
Gaspar Corti Real was a Portuguese explorer of the early 16th century. The son of another Portuguese explorer, João Cortireal, Gaspar went in search of the Northwest Passage with his brother Miguel in 1501. They sailed not so far from modern Greenland, landed in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Gaspar then parted ways with Miguel. He returned to Portugal. Gaspar planned to move south along the North American coast. No one saw him again.
Author: Pavel Romanutenko