There’s nothing like a good mystery—criminal, historical, scientific, artistic, culinary—to make for a great read. This year, Atlas Obscura investigated unsolved cases from around the world and through the centuries—from a 16th-century shipwreck off the coast of Australia that may or may not exist to a modern Midwestern ice cream flavor that just might be made with beaver secretions. A few of these unknowns may eventually become known through technological breakthroughs or newly discovered archival documents, but most are puzzles that will never be solved (or treasure that will never be found). Sometimes, though, asking the hard questions is enough (and can be fun).
The Greatest Unsolved Heist in Irish History
by Dan Nosowitz
The theft of the “Irish crown jewels” from Dublin Castle in 1907 was shocking, but the real scandal was what happened next. The story of the jewels’ disappearance “would eventually involve a sex scandal, conspiracies that pointed the finger at both sides of the political spectrum, the occult, drunken pranks, bankrupt celebrities, sham trials, and an incredibly effective hush campaign from the top rung of the political ladder.” The jewels are still missing.
