Monday, April 1, 2013

A is for Anonymous, Amelia Earhart & Arlee

Welcome to the first day of the A-to-Z Challenge!

My theme will be History's Mysteries. I had a much darker theme in mind, but figured I should at least lighten it up a little bit, considering last year was about the Wild West, which was often rather gritty. Then again, some of these mysteries are, too. You all know I write horror, right? I just can't help myself!

I will also be posting as I normally would on Mondays and Wednesdays, because I know not everyone is participating in the A-to-Z. Hopefully, though, even if you aren't participating, you'll find these mysteries of interest.

Before I jump into the post, I want to give a shout-out to Arlee Bird, the wonderful man who created the A-to-Z Challenge. He's like the kind uncle of the blogosphere, and the day he contacted me about being a co-host was a big day for me. Since then, I've gotten the chance to get to know him, and I'm so glad I did. He's smart, sweet, creative, and interesting. He's done a lot in his life, and I always enjoy learning something new about him in his posts. Thank you for being you, Lee!

***

Anonymous

Anyone else tired of all the Anonymous posts popping up on your blogs all of a sudden? Blogger was keeping them out quite well, but about a month or two ago I got flooded. Not sure what happened with that, but I was finally forced to block Anonymous comments. I'm not sure I ever got a quality Anonymous comment, anyway, so it wasn't a big loss for me, but I wonder if others were impacted in the same way, and if it was a bigger deal for them? Darn Anonymous spammers! Anyone heard why the sudden change in spam settings for Blogger?

***

is for Amelia Earhart.

When Amelia was about twenty years old, she became fascinated with flight. However, it wouldn't be until years later that she would take flight lessons and scrape together enough money to buy a small, used, two-seat bi-plane. She promptly set a record for women, flying up to an altitude of 14,000 feet.

In 1928, she was invited to fly with Bill Schultz and Slim Gordon, becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. The flight from Newfoundland to Wales took about 21 hours, but earned Earhart accolades that would outlast her. She began participating in flying competitions after that, scrapping any pretense of a life without avionics.

In 1931, she married George Putnam (book publisher and publicist-does that last name ring a bell?), the man who had originally called her up and asked her to fly across the Atlantic. They schemed together to insure Amelia would be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Charles Lindbergh was the only one to have previously accomplished this.

On May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart set off from Newfoundland. She was forced to land before reaching Paris, landing instead on a farm in Ireland. She had made it! The media adored her, as did everyone else, and she was presented with multiple awards, including the first Distinguished Flying Cross ever issued to a woman.

She set many more records over the years, but her final flight was the one that would truly go down in history. On June 1, 1937, Amelia Earhart took off from Miami with a navigator, Fred Noonan, with the intention of being the first woman to fly around the world. They made it to New Guinea and prepared for the final 7000 miles of their trip, ships on stand-by at the next destination, Howland Island. They dumped many supplies from the plane in order to get additional mileage so they could make it to the tiny island.

By Copyright by Underwood and Underwood
(not renewed) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
They departed New Guinea on July 2, only to hit nasty, cloudy weather. Amelia's radio contact was spotty, but she got through a few last messages. One came in reporting that she thought they had reached their destination, but could find no sign of the lit ships that were supposed to be waiting for them. None of their responses were received, and Earhart wasn't heard from again after one final message as to her supposed location, received about one hour later. She did, however, confirm receiving Morse Code signals, but couldn't use them to track location.

A massive search was undertaken, lasting until July 19, but no sign was ever found of Amelia Earhart. Theories as to what had happened to her included the plane going down in the sea (she had reported being low on gas), crash landing on an island and being eaten by cannibals, alien abduction, execution by the Japanese, that she and Fred were spies against the Japanese and were hidden away in a camp or prison somewhere, and that she actually faked her death and lived out her life anonymously elsewhere in the U.S.

The most compelling evidence, by far, is the discovery of human remains in 1940, on the island of Nikumaroro (Gardner Island, at that time). These remains were sent to Fiji, where they were declared to belong to a short man. Measurements were taken, and later [modern] analysis of the measurements showed they belonged to a taller woman. The bones had disappeared, making it impossible to re-check with current knowledge.

By en:User:Bzuk uploaded it to wikipedia, User:Alaniaris re-uploaded it to Commons. (English Wikipedia, en:Image:Earhart.electra.jpeg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

However, in 2012, Richard Gillespie, a man who had spent millions of dollars and at least sixteen years searching for Earhart's remains, discovered evidence of her demise on that same island. They found a woman's Cat's Paw shoe heel that looked similar to those she wore in photos. In addition, they found a sextant box, thought to be Noonan's, and an empty bottle. The heel of a man's shoe was also found, and evidence of items that had been modified, such as shells, also turned up. In addition, natives questioned years later reported finding airplane parts in the area, including a wing, and told tales of a male and female ghost associated with bones they had found and thrown into the sea, hoping to calm the spirits. Items made of aluminum from various airplanes were found in a nearby ghost town village, one that had sprung up after Earhart's crash, then been abandoned. There were also plexi-glass portions found that could have come from a plane.

Finally, there was evidence of castaways in the form of fires where sea creatures had been cooked, including birds, sea turtles, clams, etc. The clams had been opened in a fashion more customary to Americans than islanders. A piece of metal was discovered that appeared to have been used to jimmy the clams open, but islanders usually snuck up on the giant clams when they were open and sliced them in such a way as to prevent them from closing, making it easy to harvest the meat.

Nothing definitive has been discovered, and Amelia Earhart remains a mystery, lost to history. Other theories are still being explored, but Gillespie is certain he's found the site of her death, and he's determined to continue his search until he finds definitive proof.

What do you think happened to Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan? Do you want to know, or are mysteries better left unsolved?

May you find your Muse.

*Letter A by Ramsha, clker.com


87 comments:

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Stories - historical mysteries - like this always give me the shivers, but in a good way! Looking forward to reading more!

Happy A-Z!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It's been so long now, we'll probably never find a clear cut answer as to what happened.

A Beer for the Shower said...

We got rid of Anonymous comments a few weeks ago for the same reason. We were getting upwards of 5-10 spam comments that were getting through the filter per day, and worst of all, our friends' comments were going to Spam instead. I don't know why it's suddenly gotten so hard for Lord Google, but apparently "ANONYMOUS says, hey friend nice article go here to buy allergy medicine >shady link<" is difficult to detect as spam now...

Al Diaz said...

I had to change my settings because of an increase of anonymous comments as well.
I don't really believe anyone would clear completely the mystery of Amelia Earheart.
And I didn't know you wrote horror, haha! New things all of them!

Unknown said...

I love that you chose a woman from history to honor! I teach women's history in Chicago :) Hope to see you at http://citymusecountrymuse2012.blogspot.com/ where we are posting an original poem every day!

Sirisha said...

WOw! I love your theme! I am going to be excited to read more mysteries throughout this month from you!

jp said...

When I read this I thought immediately of Amy Johnson another woman with extraordinary aviational skills. I had heard of Amelia but didn't know anything about her.

It is perhaps a little strange to have such talented ladies in this field considering most find it difficult to reverse park a car. (Ouch! I know, sorry, just couldn't help myself) :)

mshatch said...

Not only is the tale of her disappearance interesting but Gillespie's search for her! Imagine spending all that time and money searching for someone you n3ever knew?

J.L. Murphey said...

While the filter catches about 50% of my anonymous, I have found bonafide responses in the spam bin too.

Unknown said...

I guess I like the mystery of the unknown. It keeps you wondering.

Tina said...

This history buff LOVES your theme. It seems to me that they've found ample evidence of what happened...but sure, keep searching. Some mysteries should be left alone, and I think that this one is concluded. My opinion...
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

Unknown said...

Great topic, Shannon. It's always fun to read about a mystery and to revisit those we continue to wonder about. And I join you in your shout out to Arlee. God bless, Maria from http://delightdirectedliving.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-word-choice-love.html

Maple Syrup Land said...

Great theme! If it really was her on that island, I wonder how long after the crash she and Fred survived...and what they did to survive

Dani said...

Yes I've been spammed so much by Anon's lately I've wanted to pull my hair out!

I did a research paper on Amelia in HS. I really looked up to her throughout MS & HS. What a gal!

Dani @ Entertaining Interests
#warriorminion

Jeremy [Retro] said...

great historical trip...and starting with a great "A"

Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host
Oh No, Let's Go... Crazy

Anonymous said...

The history of it all is fascinating. The rumors ... well, they are what they are...

Dana said...

I've always been interested in Earhart and would love to know what happened.

Great theme! I'll be following. ☺

Dana @ The Daily Dose

katie eggeman said...

I learned to block anonymous from a fellow blogger when I complained in a comment. I love the blog world. Amelia is a worthy mystery to think on.
Katie atBankerchick Scratchings

Cynthia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I love historic mysteries. Amelia was definitely a ground breaker.

I haven't figured out how to block anonymous on my blogs.


Cynthia @ The Sock Zone

Ram Thilak said...

Interesting theme Shannon. I get the feeling of reading a book when I read this post.The narrative style is gripping and I'm looking forward on how you unearth the remaining 25 mysteries :)

Unknown said...

This is a great choice for a theme. As a history buff, I'm loving it. Amelia Earhart was such a inspiration when I was growing up - not the disappearing part, of course ;)

Dani and Jax said...

Amelia was/is such a great inspiration to girls and women everywhere, still to this day. The mystery to her vanishing will never go away.

Dani & Jax @ Cover Girls

D.G. Hudson said...

Amelia, another strong woman who was lost much too early. She lived life to the fullest. A great choice for the A letter, Shannon.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating! A great post for A. The mystery will live on.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating! A great post for A. The mystery will live on.

M.J. Fifield said...

Certain posts of mine get flooded with spam. It seems to work like a tide. I get swamped for a while, then it recedes.

And I've always been fascinated by Amelia.

DL Hammons said...

I haven't been subjected to the Anonymous comments like you have. Hmmmmm?

And the disappearance of Amelia Earhart has always fascinated me. Another Hmmmmmm? :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

The mystery of Amelia could be background for some great stories. Will we ever know.

Unknown said...

Wow, this is one mystery that does intrigue me, thanks for posting as I'd done a presentation on Amelia in uni and had heard that someone thought they'd found the place where she and noonan died. It is something that I'd love to know more about. Enjoyed the post immensely.

Sue McPeak said...

Hi Shannon...You had me at "My theme wil be History's Mysteries". I loved your Wild West Theme last year and was a faithful AtoZ Follower. What a great start for the Letter A with Ameila Earhart. Great info and analysis on Richard Gillespie's research. I for one would love to see the mystery solved.

Sue~AtoZ LoneStar Quilting Bee
collectintexasgal.blogspot.com

eN said...

Love history. Love your theme and your wonderful first post of the challenge. Hooked! Will drop by for more.:)

Susan Scott said...

She'll continue to fascinate us - a warrior in her way.
I look forward to more posts!
Aksimet is helpful to blog the anonymous comments - over 150K have been blocked as spam on mine last time I looked.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

LOL, A Beer For the Shower, on the Anonymous comments! I too was deluged with horrible comments going way, way back into my past six years of blogging. I was not a happy camper. I even mistakenly deleted real comments on an important post because of those things.

Happy Day 1 A to Z, Shannon! Your opening post was totally fascinating. I loved the native reports of a female ghost and a male ghost in the area of the possible crash.

Julie Flanders said...

I've been lucky with the anonymous comments so far, I hope that continues. What a pain!

I love history and mysteries so I know I will love your theme. I doubt we will ever know what happened to Amelia Earhart, such an intriguing and also sad story.

Jak said...

I am going to love this theme! I've always been huge on conspiracies, mysteries, and the unknown. Bring on the dark and gritty! RAR!

I've never heard of the "spy" theory. That is interesting, but I can't fathom it being remotely true. The evidence Gillespie brings forth is compelling. I think it says a lot that he continues to seek out definitive answers, rather than just stating that he has found her remains and leave it at that.

No Anonymous issues here, always had them off. I briefly turned them on, because I thought I read about doing so for the A to Z, but then another article was posted about turning them off. So off they are, and I feel WAY more comfortable with that.

I don't think I will be missing out by not allowing people to post anonymously. It's the blogosphere, not war games.

I have a guess at what B is!

Jak at The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink

thelmaz said...

Amelia--very interesting.
And yes, I have been literally flooded with weird anonymous comments. Hate it but some are so funny, I do read those. I rhink they are all written by the same person, who must spend his/her life at it.

Arlee Bird said...

And thank you, Shannon, for being so valuable to the A to Z.

The Anonymous comment factor is really too bad. I hate the spam, but I have gotten some really cool comments through "Anonymous" where the people didn't want to sign up to Blogger or didn't know how. Unfortunately the spammers far outweigh those few really cool comments.

Thanks for your A to Z efforts!

Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog

Murees Dupè said...

I love history and mysteries. I just hope that she made it and that she lived somewhere in secret all these years. The thought of her being killed or dying violently is just too upsetting.

Cynthia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cynthia said...

I think examining history's mysteries would make for a great month of blogging on your part. I'm curious to see what you'd come up with.

Goodness, I totally hear you on the sudden frequency of Anonymous appearing on our blogs. I even tweeted about this whole nuisance the other day, and someone spammed me on that very tweet. The irony. Speaking of Twitter, I see you have a Twitter account...Going to go add you right now.

Laeli said...

Until this day, I did not know Amelia Earhart was travelling with anyone else. What else don't I know? Lots I bet!

I think this story is so sad. I love that we just don't know what really happened to them. I feel like they can rest better that way.

Willa Blair said...

I'm looking forward to the rest of your alphabet! Great post.

Bill Somogyi said...

Great theme and a wonderful start. You obviously did some home work.

Images by Bil

Susan Kane said...

Excellent start! Amelia Earhart was my hero, and I mourned for her when I finished her biography. Always hoped she would be found.

Elizabeth Sara said...

I had that same problem with the spam! It appears to come in waves.

KC Weldon said...

As annoying as they are, I kinda find the spam entertaining. They always tell me how amazing I am as a writer and some of the time follow that up with a barely veiled comment that I plagiarized my post.

I think the mystery adds to Amelia Earhart's legend. I'm not sure people would find her as interesting if we knew that she crash landed or bailed out for sure.

KC @ The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit & Oh Frog It

Carrie-Anne said...

I love unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena. I think it's most likely that Amelia Earhart passed away en route, though I've seen some shows on the History Channel (which has been a joke for at least 10 years now) claiming she began a new life on an island or was used as some kind of sex slave.

Andrew Leon said...

I've had anonymous comments blocked for a while now as no one real was ever using that option other than my wife, who can let me know if she wants to make a comment.

At this point, I think it's kind of pointless to keep looking for Amelia. It made sense when she could still be alive somewhere, but she's dead one way or the other now, so why bother?

Christine Rains said...

I've been getting a ton of anonymous comments, and I finally had to switch my comment settings to make sure no one could post as anonymous.

I think Amelia crashed as sad as it is, but I love wondering about history's mysteries. Some things will never be solved, and I'm glad for it. The world needs more wonder.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Thought provoking theme! It's amazing that with all our modern technologies that this mystery hasn't been solved.

Jeff Hargett said...

Good mystery choice! I too had to break down and disable anonymous comments a month or two ago. I had received a handful of decent and legitimate comments among the mountain of spam though, so it was a decision I made grudgingly.

Mark Means said...

She was a true pioneer in aviation...not just for women, but for everyone. I still think the aliens got her, though...

Great start! :)

Anonymous said...

Ha!! I thought my post was long. Great part is that you included so much interested information. Thanks for teaching me somethings I didn't know!

I can't wait to see what you do with the letter B.

Unknown said...

that's how great things start with: great people and you sure chose a great famele model for today!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Madeline, ooh, I like that I could give someone shivers with the post!

Alex, yeah, they've reached a limit where they really can't get anything too definitive. I wish they could find the bodies and lay them to rest.

Bryan (& Brandon), Lord Google gave up the ghost.

Al, I do! Horror and fantasy!

Juliet, that is a class I'd love to take! I bet you've got a lot of information I'm unaware of.

Sirisha, I'm so glad to hear it!

JP, I'd be offended if it wasn't often true...

Marcy, it's amazing some of the people I've come across doing this theme who search for decades to solve one of these mysteries and sink so much money into it.

J.L., I have, too, though they usually aren't Anonymous ones, which makes it all the more annoying.

Melanie, I'm betting you won't be the last in the comments to feel that way. When I've discovered stuff that was a mystery when I was a kid that wasn't anymore, I was let down.

Tina, the evidence is pretty compelling, isn't it? But people are still arguing with them, so they're bound and determined to find final proof. There are giant crabs there that they think scuttled away with the bones and evidence.

Maria, I keep spending waaaay too much time reading through these old mysteries instead of writing my blog posts.

Maple, that's a good question. There were several fires, which I'm assuming means days they survived, but they may have been injured and it took its toll.

Dani, I had to correct myself while writing the post, because I wrote a ton about her and realized it was supposed to be about her disappearance, not her (so much). She was amazing.

Jeremy, thanks! You can never go wrong with Amelia Earhart!

Suzy said...

I changed my settings to filter out the Anonymous comments. Pesky things. I think some mysteries are better left unsolved. Dropping by from AtoZ

Sharon Himsl said...

Fascinating subject. We will always wonder. Just stopping by for A-Z.

loverofwords said...

I do love unsolved mysteries and your choice for A-Z is perfect, especially with your interest in history. Thank you for being part of the editing team.

Shannon Lawrence said...

M.J., and there was so much I couldn't put in because I was trying to keep it a few words shy of a novella.

Dana, thank you. She has always captivated my imagination, too, for more than one reason.

Katie, the blogging community is certainly a fabulous one!

Cynthia, in Blogger you go into Settings, find the category on the left that has Comments in it (I forget exactly what it says since I'm not looking at it), and there are several options for comments. I'm not sure what type of blog you have, though.

Ram, thank you, so nice of you to say!

Elaine, haha, no, not the disappearing part. But yes on the rest of it. I always thought she was so fascinating. But would we have known so much about her had she not disappeared?

Dani, maybe that's why she had to disappear? She would have probably been more famous in the day without having disappeared, but her name wouldn't be in every household had she not, and girls need amazing women like her to look up to.

D.G., thank you! I do think she was remarkable, and hope she's never forgotten.

Elizabeth, thank you! I'm sure it will.

M.J., I guess it has to do with how they come up in search engines? But then I've had some that had as many spam comments as real ones, that weren't necessarily that popular. Argh.

D.L., now THAT is strange! You have, what, double the readers I do? I would have assumed you got tons of spam! Hmmmmmmmm?

Susan, I'm betting it already has been. Several of the mysteries I've researched have really gotten me wanting to write.

Wicked, I'd love to go deeper into learning about Amelia. Glad I could bring attention to the update!

Hi Sue! You just made my day! I had so much fun with the Wild West theme last year. I appreciate you being back!

Nandana, thanks so much! Looking forward to seeing more of you.

Dan L said...

The evidence found on Gardner Island seems pretty compelling. It seems likely that Earhart and Noonan did end up crashing after going off course.

But, it's an intriguing question you ask about mysteries. There's something about them that fascinates me and frustrates me at the same time. I want to know, but at the same time, I don't.

klahanie said...

Hi Shannon,

The mystery of Amelia Earhart does seem to be an ongoing mystery. It seems the more things appear to be almost solved, more question arise.

Your mysterious history theme is intriguing. And anonymous comments are popping up a lot. Not always actually on my site, just in my inbox. Still, it gives me something to delete. I do notice that the spam seems to target my posts by the title.

Enjoy the A to Z, Shannon.

Gary :)

Chancelet said...

Great post. I found this very informative and entertaining.

If Gillespi can find something to do a DNA test, if there's something to test it against, that'd be so wonderful. But the evidence so far seems to say she lived and died on that island.

It would be good to know how long they lasted and how they died. Maybe locals killed them thinking they were evil spirits? Or maybe I've seen Lord of the Flies too many times. :)

Ida Thought said...

She was one of my first ever role models along with Madam Curie - I'm convinced, after reading your post she didn't die in that plane. :)

Anonymous said...

Histories Mysteries is a great theme! And a great post for the A day! Do you think that was really Amelia's button that was found? Almost seems too easy after all this time. I prefer the unknown answer (not the tragedy), but the romanticism of a figure so impressive for her day that we are still talking about her.

Ella said...

I loved what you shared and think she lived on the island, but would love to learn more ;D

Fun A post~

Seeley said...

I enjoyed this post. Didn't realize you were a horror writer too! How cool.

Nice to get in touch through the A-to-Z Challenge. :-)

Slithers of Thought (WR)

Chuck said...

Shannon, this is going to be a great challenge reading all your mysteries. That was fascinating and had so much I never knew...like the fact she had a navigator, I thought she was flying alone when she disappeared!

Great story!

Chuck at Apocalypse Now

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

I'm comfortable having mysteries in my life and in the world. When we figure one thing out, we go searching for another mystery.

Rachel said...

I think your theme is one of my favorites. I love topics like this. I've always been interested in Amelia Earhart but I've never done my own research or anything.

I don't really have a theory about what happened to her. What I do think, is that it was tragic and horrible. She either spent her last moments knowing she was going to die in a horrible fashion or struggling to stay alive, maybe both.

Trisha said...

I'm sure she did pass away, and not in a pleasant way at all, but it is quite maddening not knowing for sure!

I think I got a few Anonymous comments but only maybe a couple.

Kellie @ Delightfully Ludicrous said...

I just wish the spammers would do more than write it in their language and toss it through babblefish!

Kern Windwraith said...

Amelia Earhart was such a hero to me when I was a little girl--still is, I guess. I wasn't aware that there was pretty compelling evidence that she crashed on Nikumaroro--fascinating. Equally fascinating is that Gillespie was determined enough to find her remains that he has spent sixteen years and a small fortune trying to do so.

Great post, Sharon!

Anonymous said...

Amazing post! Hi I find historical mysteries to be a quite fascinating, such as Amelia Earhart's disappearance and Stonehenge. Other mysteries, not so much even if a well written one can be intriguing.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Susan, I haven't heard of Aksimet. Will have to look it up. And you're right; she was very much a warrior.

Julie, it was the first I'd read about that. And you should check out A Beer for the Shower's blog. They're quite funny.

Julie, it IS sad. She was so close. Within miles. Continued good luck with Anonymous spam!

Jak, I'm curious if you guessed right! I love mysteries and conspiracies, too. While I could see the spy thing under other circumstances, why would you expect someone to spy when the entire world was watching them? So nah.

Thelma, many of them are amazingly similar, aren't they? Same basic outline and link setup.

Lee, thank you! It's sad that the few who comment via Anonymous genuinely have to be blocked for all the spam, but it reached such a head.

Murees, it would be lovely to think that. So I won't say anymore. :)

Cynthia, I'll add you back! It is too good that you got spammed on your Tweet about spamming.

Laeli, oh man, there was so much I didn't put in this blog post. I could write pages and pages about Amelia Earhart and the different missions undertaken to find her remains, then and now. I read for way too long, then had to pare it down.

Willa, thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy them.

Bill, lots of homework, and I enjoyed every moment!

Susan, was the biography worth reading? I bet it was. I had no idea there was one; will have to look it up. She was truly fascinating.

Ice Girl, it does, doesn't it? I wonder why?

KC, I don't think they'd be as interested, either. Mystery is what has made her the most famous. Given, she deserved to be famous on her own merits, but it so rarely works out that way. You made me laugh about the spam.

Carrie-Anne, now the sex slave thing is one I missed. Darn it!

Unknown said...

Amelia, The Bermuda Project, and The Philadelphia Experiment are some of my favorite modern day mysteries. I will be following your blog to see the other ones you cover.

And I hear you on the Blogger spam. I have a blogger blog live that I don't update anymore and it didn't get SPAM for the nearly four years I had it until the past few months and now it just does not stop.

Tia Bach said...

Love your theme, and what a great way to start it. My daughters are convinced that Amelia lived out her days on a mysterious island. I'm inclined to agree.

Looking forward to more of your posts this month!

My A Post

Anonymous said...

This is such a fabulous theme for a challenge! I look forward to reading the rest of history's mysteries on your blog this month!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Andrew, I'm amazed they've been able to dedicate this much time. I imagine it's through grants and sponsors, which means there are others who have the same goal and are willing to fork over money to discover the truth. Crazy when you think about it.

Christine, I agree, we need more wonder. Being able to think that something positive may have happened to her, that there's a chance she's okay, is probably what a lot of people needed. We all hope that every time anyone disappears. We hope for that one in a million positive outcome.

Maurice, I was thinking just that about a few of the mysteries! You'd think so little would be left to be discovered, but apparently that isn't true.

Jeff, I totally understand. There was an occasional good one, but I just didn't have the time to keep on top of deleting spam as it hit.

Mark, yes! First vote for the aliens! And I agree, she was a pioneer for everyone. Really a remarkable person.

STFU, I know, I'm terrible at keeping these posts short! You should see everything I edited out. I love research.

Adriana, thank you! She was certainly great.

Suzy, I do agree. It's easy for me to get caught up in the solutions as they reach them, but it's a let down when they find out the truth.

Sharon, I agree. Even if he finds something more, there will always be the mystery of what happened during their time (for instance). I think there will always be an air of mystery to Amelia's final days.

Loverofwords, thank you, yes, I do love history! My other theme would have been mostly history themed, too. I should have majored in it.

Dan, exactly! I feel the same way. My brain instantly wants to solve it, to know the answers, but I love the mystery, the thought of what could be. That gets lost once the answers are known.

Gary, the title probably makes a huge difference. That and the keywords. Sort of a darned if you do, darned if you don't.

Nancy, ha! Yes, Lord of the Flies sure doesn't reassure one as to castaways.

Ida, both wonderful role models!

Darcnina, it does seem astounding that they would find these small items, but they were partially buried. Still, that's a long time for them to be that far above the surface. The shoe bottom and the sextant case are compelling, though.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Ella, thank you! I'd like to know more, too.

Sarah, yes! Horror and urban fantasy, really, though I dabble all over the place.

Chuck, you're not the first one who thought that! There was a lot I didn't know. I didn't know her first big accomplishment was as a third to two other people.

LuAnn, that's true. Even if this one gets solved, there will be others we'll latch onto.

Rachel, it is definitely sad. It's maybe odd, but I took comfort in knowing she wasn't alone.

Trisha, no I think it couldn't have been pleasant for just about any of the possibilities. I prefer several of them over her being a POW who was possibly tortured, though.

Kellie, haha, that's true! But if it made sense it might be harder to weed out.

Kern, it is fascinating that he has made this such a life's mission. I'd like to know the reasons why. We're all curious about it, but what makes a person up and decide to really go for it like this?

Candace, I think the real thing will always be the most compelling and fascinating.

Ashley, I've always been intrigued by the Bermuda Triangle and the Philadelphia Experiment. There are really so many interesting mysteries out there.

Tia, you never know, she may have moved along with the natives when they left the island. No one looked around for a lighter skinned native...

Sujataravi, thank you!

Unknown said...

Wow, that is a lot of research. I love the details. I don't like to pick a theory, I think (and I think there are others who think) that "mystery" in of itself is a feeling. Kind of like the suspense of "Who is the bad guy?" and then once you see his face you're not as scared anymore.

miss uncertain said...

I looove mysteries. Cool theme! Can't wait to read more of your posts. Thanks for dropping by my blog. Good luck!


Miss Uncertain---sidetracked

Jason "J-Ryze" Fonceca said...

Sooo cool! I love this theme :)

Mysteries are powerful, and Amelia's is such a well-established one.

I didn't know about the recent 2012 developments, and definitely learned a lot :)

Thanks for sharing,
Keep ryzin'!

GeoffN. said...

Nice post, though I wouldn't put too much stock in the findings of the group that lead the 2012 search. They always seem to launch something like this around significant anniversaries and never turn anything up. A cynic might think they were just trolling for funds and press.

James Garcia Jr said...

Thanks for posting, Shannon. No, I love these stories. Were I the time and money, I'd be one of these searching for Bigfoot or 'Nessie or Earhart's final resting place. the closer they get the more excited I get. *sigh*
:)

-Jimmy

Shannon Lawrence said...

April, I like that way of thinking about. Yes, mystery certainly is a feeling, isn't it?

Miss Uncertain, glad you love them, too!

Ryze, glad you learned something new!

Geoff, true, but those guys had been searching for a long, long time! I definitely agree on those that jump in on an anniversary or some other resurgence. Press, press, press.

Jimmy, me, too! I've always eaten up stories about mysteries and cryptozoology.

Anonymous said...

I love mysteries like this. I think that the fact that it is a mystery has raised her profile overall.