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Throughout history, humanity has uncovered countless codes and ciphers. While some of these codes are broken, others remain unsolved. Our list today highlights moments when human creativity led to remarkable discoveries of treasure or when we outsmarted our enemies by hiding messages in secret codes. Unfortunately, it also shows the futility of decoding messages written in lost languages. Continue reading to explore 10 captivating stories of code breakers.
10. Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party
In 1938, a group of intelligence officers spent a month at Bletchley Park in England. They operated under the cover of a shooting party known as 'Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party.' At the time, few knew that Bletchley Park was about to play a crucial role in changing the course of the war. It is believed that the work done there shortened the war by two years and saved countless lives.
Cracking the German ENIGMA codes was a responsibility assigned to the brilliant and dedicated team at Bletchley Park. Additionally, the Allies used Bletchley to mislead the Germans before the D-Day invasion. They sent out false messages suggesting that the main assault would take place at Pas-de-Calais, while the true attack would occur at Normandy.
This deception led to many Wehrmacht and Panzer reserves being far from Normandy on the day of the invasion. After visiting Bletchley Park in 2011, the Queen commented, 'It is impossible to overstate the deep sense of admiration, gratitude, and national debt that we owe to all those men and, especially, women.'
9. Zodiac
In the late 1960s, the Zodiac Killer instilled fear throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with a murder spree, claiming at least five victims, though the actual number could be higher. He sent a 340-character letter to the *San Francisco Chronicle*, filled with a cryptic assortment of unreadable symbols for the police. The meaning of the letter remained unsolved for over five decades. Numerous documentaries, books, and articles have explored the mystery, with many theories about what the hidden code might reveal.
In December 2020, a private team of three investigators successfully cracked the Zodiac's code, only to uncover a series of nonsensical rants from the killer. He boasted, 'I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me.' Despite the dark content, deciphering the code gave the victims' families a small sense of closure.
8. Anne Lister
In the 19th century, John Lister discovered a peculiar code in the diaries of his aunt, Anne Lister. This code encrypted her writings, concealing the true meaning behind her words. It was revealed that Lister had created a unique language to express herself freely within the constraints of the rigid society she lived in. The code revealed Lister's sexuality, and she used it to document her most intimate thoughts and emotions.
Her code was a blend of ancient Greek and other symbols, which she called her 'crypt hand.' Lister used this code throughout her extensive diaries, which span over 7,000 pages of handwritten text, some of which were entirely in crypt hand. The code was relatively simple to decipher compared to others on this list, but this was expected, as it was solely used by Lister. Both the diaries and a guide to the code are available online, allowing readers to explore what author Emma Donoghue called 'the Dead Sea Scrolls of lesbian history.' According to Donoghue, 'They change everything.'
7. Somerton Man
The Somerton Man case remains one of the most baffling unsolved mysteries of the 20th century. The circumstances surrounding his death and the discovery of his body on Somerton beach left investigators stumped. Inside his trouser pocket, police found a folded note with the words 'Tamam Shud'—meaning 'the end'—which was a phrase from a popular book of poetry. A copy of this book had been found in a stranger’s car near Somerton around the time of the man’s death, and it was later handed to the authorities.
The car's owner claimed that the window had been slightly open, allowing the book to be pushed through. Upon opening the book, investigators found a handwritten note on the last page, containing a code that remains unsolved, despite the best efforts of some of the world's top code breakers.
Some believe that decoding the message could unlock additional clues that might finally reveal the identity of the Somerton man. Theorists suggest that the note found in his pocket is connected to the discarded book, which in turn links to the mysterious code inside the book. By deciphering it, more answers could emerge.
In May 2021, the Somerton man's remains were exhumed, and scientists are now using advanced technology in hopes of solving the mystery once and for all. Despite some individuals claiming to have uncovered the man's true identity and cracked the code, authorities remain cautious and have not yet endorsed these conclusions.
6. Nurp 40 TW Pigeon
In 2015, a resident of Surrey, England, discovered the remains of a pigeon in his chimney while cleaning. To his surprise, the bird's leg was still attached to a red canister. Upon opening the canister, he found a secret code composed of 27 five-letter words, suggesting that the original sender intended to convey a hidden message.
During World War II, pigeons were used to carry secret messages between mainland Europe and the UK, and this particular message was never received. The bird's identification remains unclear, as two different identification numbers were found: NURP.40.TW.194 and NURP.37.OK.76.
The person who sent the pigeon, 'Sjt W Stot,' intended for it to be delivered to 'X02.' This might sound confusing, and you're not alone in thinking so, as the code-breaking books used during the war have likely been destroyed. As a result, the code may never be solved. Investigators have reached out to the public for any clues that might help, but the only response they've received suggested that the code might have been intended for Santa, given that the pigeon was found inside a chimney. Quite unhelpful!
5. Ricky McCormick’s Encrypted Notes
In June 1999, a woman driving along a road in West Alton, Missouri, discovered a body in a cornfield. The remains had been decomposing for a short time and were later identified as Ricky McCormick, a local man with a criminal history who had lived in multiple places. His death, however, remained a mystery.
His body was found 15 miles (24 kilometers) from his last known address, and he had no way of getting there. What deepened the mystery was a set of coded notes discovered in his pockets. The notes, containing a mix of letters and numbers, seemed to be linked to his unknown death. Despite efforts from both the FBI and the American Cryptogram Association, the code could not be cracked, leaving the case unsolved.
No one had reported McCormick as missing, and his body showed no signs of violence or foul play—only the mysterious code in his pocket. His family has stated that McCormick never used any kind of code, making it doubtful that he wrote it himself. The FBI even set up a website for online detectives to try and decipher the code, but to date, no clear answers have emerged, and the case remains unresolved.
4. Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich manuscript, one of the most enigmatic books in the world, is believed to have originated with a Prague alchemist named Georg Baresch. Baresch mentioned that the book had 'taken up space uselessly in his library' and never revealed how he came into possession of it. The manuscript consists of about 240 pages, though some are missing, and is filled with strange symbols, codes, and illustrations.
Among the manuscript's illustrations are depictions of medieval herbal medicine practices, volcanoes, nude women with tubes, and images connected to astrology. There are also drawings of floating castles, disembodied heads, and bizarre creatures. The text appears to be written in a 'natural language,' yet it has baffled the brightest cryptographers, leaving its true meaning a mystery.
Theories regarding the manuscript’s origin range from the possibility that Leonardo da Vinci authored it, to the suggestion that it was written by aliens, or that it is a deliberate hoax. Continued research indicates that it may have been written in a Latin or Roman dialect that has been lost to time, which might explain why the code remains unsolved.
3. Beale Ciphers
In the early 1800s, a group of Virginians led by explorer Thomas Beale stumbled upon an incredible hoard of gold and silver in the Rocky Mountains. In disbelief at their good fortune, the miners worked the area for years, and their stash is now valued at an estimated 65 million U.S. dollars in modern terms.
To safeguard their newfound treasure, Beale and his crew buried it at an undisclosed location in Bedford, Virginia. He then wrote three letters containing clues to the treasure's location, which were entrusted to an innkeeper. However, the innkeeper never heard from Beale again, who was presumed to have perished. The letters, composed entirely of seemingly random numbers, were indecipherable.
The innkeeper passed the mysterious ciphers to a wealthy friend, who managed to crack part of the code, revealing the amount of gold and silver buried. However, the rest of the cipher remained unsolved. Despite attempts to crack the full cipher, the treasure's location remains a mystery. While some believe it’s all a hoax, the possibility of vast wealth lying buried in Bedford's mountains still lingers.
2. Dorabella Ciphers
In July 1897, composer Edward Elgar sent a cryptic note to his friend Miss Dora Penny. Enclosed in a letter of gratitude, the note, which was addressed to Penny’s family, contained an 87-character cipher composed of symbols in perplexing orientations. Despite Penny receiving it directly, the cipher has never been decoded.
Some believe the cipher could have been a gesture of Elgar's affection for Miss Penny, as he had a well-known interest in codes. Over the years, numerous experts have tried to decode the note, but their interpretations have been inconsistent and often unclear, leaving doubts about whether they've come close to Elgar's original intent. In 2007, to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Elgar Society hosted a competition for members to crack the code. However, none of the entries were considered to have uncovered its meaning. The code may forever remain unsolved.
1. Fenn Treasure
In 2010, author and art dealer Forrest Fenn published his memoirs, revealing that he had hidden a treasure chest 'somewhere north of Santa Fe.' The treasure, concealed in 1988 after Fenn was diagnosed with a terminal illness (later found to be a mistake), was part of his memoirs.
The memoirs contained nine cryptic clues pointing to the treasure's location, which included gold, rare jewels, and gemstones worth an estimated one to two million dollars. The clues included phrases like 'where warm waters halt' and 'no place for the meek,' guiding treasure hunters on their quest.
Over the years, many sought the treasure, and some even lost their lives in the process. At least five treasure hunters were found dead while pursuing Fenn's hidden riches. In 2010, an anonymous individual followed the clues and located the treasure in Wyoming. In 2021, another hunter filed a lawsuit alleging that Fenn had moved the treasure from Colorado during the pandemic, suspecting its proximity to discovery.
