The gap between those who can access and use digital technology and those who can't
A famous example is Flight 19, where five bombers vanished on December 5, 1945. But it gets weirder: the search and rescue aircraft sent to look for them also vanished.
St. Brendan, aka "the Navigator," was an Irish saint who navigated the seas spreading the word of God.
Probably one (if not the) most popular mythical place on Earth, Atlantis has been present in our imagination ever since 330 BCE, when Greek philosopher Plato first mentioned it.
At one point he landed in this mythical island in the North Atlantic, somewhere west of North Africa. This island was like paradise, except no one ever found it.
Needless to say that people have tried to find Atlantis ever since. Many maps place Atlantis in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but other locations have been speculated, from the Mediterranean Sea, to Antarctica, and the Caribbean.
But despite all the searches, it turns out it was all in Plato's head. Or was it?
The Bermuda Triangle was first called such in 1964 by a writer named Vincent Gaddis. Throughout the years, numerous accounts of disappearing vessels and aircraft have contributed to the mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle.
Shangri-La got famous again in James Hilton's 1933 novel 'Lost Horizon.' But the legend of this sacred Tibetan valley dates back to 962 ACE. In Tibetan mythology it was known as Shambala.
Supposedly somewhere in the Himalayas, this city located on a mountain made of white crystal was inhabited by Buddhists who never had contact with our world and lived in pure harmony. The question remains whether this was a real or a spiritual place we ought to reach.
The legend of El Dorado refers to a tribal chief of the Muisca people (of modern-day Colombia) who would cover himself in gold and throw treasures into a lake as offerings to the gods.
The legend of a man grew into a legend of whole city filled with treasures. Not only were the Spanish explorers on a mission to find it, but English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh also got in the race. Neither ever found EL Dorado, nor did the expeditions that followed.
This legendary frozen land was reportedly discovered by a Greek explorer named Pytheas in the 4th century BCE. For many years this remained the farthest north location in many maps.
Of course, several expeditions took place in search of this cold land. The Romans managed to get to the Shetland Islands and assumed that was it. Then, the British explorer Richard Francis Burton went to Iceland and, again, thought he had found Thule.
Reasons for these mysterious disappearances have been attributed to numerous causes, from gas explosions to aliens. Though severe weather might have something to do with it, as this NASA map of hurricanes between 1851 and 2019 shows.
Several expeditions tried to reach Hy-Brazil, which stayed on maps up until 1768. The island was then deemed imaginary.
But seeing this island was no easy task. Apparently, due to heavy fog, it was only visible once every seven years. Odd residents such as giant black rabbits, a sorcerer, and actual gods reportedly lived on the island.
The island of Hy-Brazil was supposedly located somewhere off the coast of Ireland. It was first documented on a map in 1325, and stayed on maps for around 500 years!
Inspired by this story, many explorations followed, namely by the Portuguese. But when they reached East Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries by boat, there was no sign of said magical fountain. Or the kingdom.
Sources: (Grunge)
See also: Is the fountain of youth real?
In 1165, a forged "Letter of Prester John" reached Europe. It was reportedly sent by a Christian African king to the leader of the Byzantine Empire talking about this land and the fountain of youth. The news spread.
Of course, back then many areas were not mapped, so people would go looking for them. Surprisingly, expeditions to find this oasis went on until the 1930s. But there was no sign of the mythical city.
The legend of this oasis city somewhere in the Sahara Desert dates back to the 1400s. It apparently had a gate with a bird that would hold they keys to the city.
Residents were strong and handsome. They built many churches in the kingdom, but God got mad at them for some reason and sent a huge wave to destroy the whole thing.
When French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in what is now Canada in 1534, he was told by locals about a place filled with gold and silver called the Kingdom of Saguenay.
The kingdom of Lyonesse was supposedly connected to the Isles of Scilly (off the south coast of England). It was then submerged by water, following a divine punishment.
Cartier got even more curious about this amazing kingdom. The French explorer led expeditions until 1542. Needless to say, he found nothing.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon have been depicted in many art forms for centuries. They are so famous that they were listed as one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
But to this date there is no archaeological evidence that proves the gardens existed (at least in the format they were described). And as you can imagine, many people dedicated years trying to find proof of these exuberant gardens.
Legend has it that King Nebuchadnezzar II built these amazing gardens for his wife, Amytis, who was missing the lush vegetation of her hometown.
The wave wiped the whole kingdom, except for a man who survived. According to legend, he outran the wave riding his white horse. To this day there are people who say they descend from this man.
Cartier was so excited by the idea that he went looking for it in 1535. Though local Chief Donnacona warned him that the peoples of this kingdom were heavily armed, had only one leg, flew like bats, and didn't need to eat like the rest of us.
There are plenty of stories about mythical places, many of which have never been found. Some of these places are so present in our imagination that sometimes we're not sure whether they actually exist or not. Sure, satellites and a quick look on Google Earth might provide us with some clues, but remember that our ancestors didn't have access to this technology.
Despite this, the truth is that some of these places cannot be discarded as being fictitious...or can they? Browse this gallery and draw your own conclusions.
Iconic places that (probably) never existed
...or did they?
LIFESTYLE Myths and legends
There are plenty of stories about mythical places, many of which have never been found. Some of these places are so present in our imagination that sometimes we're not sure whether they actually exist or not. Sure, satellites and a quick look on Google Earth might provide us with some clues, but remember that our ancestors didn't have access to this technology.
Despite this, the truth is that some of these places cannot be discarded as being fictitious...or can they? Browse this gallery and draw your own conclusions.