Buzz
Throughout the ages, history has been filled with intriguing tales of individuals whose identities remain shrouded in mystery. This list showcases some of the most notable or enigmatic people from this category. As always, if you know of other captivating figures who deserve a place in a similar follow-up list, feel free to share them in the comments.
10. Monsieur Chouchani
Monsieur Chouchani (died 1968) is the alias of an elusive and mysterious Jewish teacher who mentored a number of esteemed students, including Emmanuel Levinas (pictured above) and Elie Wiesel, in post-World War II Europe. Very little is known about Chouchani, and his true identity remains a well-kept secret. His origins and personal history are shrouded in mystery. His tombstone in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he passed away, bears the inscription: 'The wise Rabbi Chouchani of blessed memory. His birth and his life are sealed in enigma.' This text was written by Elie Wiesel, who also funded the gravestone.
Although no body of work exists from Chouchani himself, he left behind an immense intellectual legacy through his students. Chouchani, who dressed like a wanderer, was an expert in various fields of knowledge, including science, mathematics, philosophy, and, most notably, the Talmud. Most of the details known about his life come from the writings and interviews of his students.
9. The Poe Toaster
The Poe Toaster is the moniker given to a mysterious figure who has been honoring Edgar Allan Poe annually by visiting his grave. This peculiar tradition began in 1949, a century after Poe's death, and continues every year on the author's birthday, January 19. According to Wikipedia: 'In the early hours of the morning on that date, a black-clad figure, presumed to be male, with a silver-tipped cane, enters the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground in Baltimore, Maryland. The person proceeds to Poe’s grave, where they raise a cognac toast. Before leaving, the Toaster leaves three red roses and a half-bottle of cognac on the grave.'
The Toaster, dressed in a black hat and coat, conceals his face with a hood or scarf. Often, groups of reporters and admirers gather to witness the event. No one has ever tried to disrupt the Toaster’s ritual or uncover his identity, likely out of reverence for the tradition.
8. Babushka Lady
During the investigation of the film footage from the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, a mysterious woman was spotted. Dressed in a brown overcoat with a scarf on her head, her appearance earned her the nickname 'Babushka Lady,' as her scarf resembled the headscarf worn by Russian grandmothers, also called 'babushkas.' The woman seemed to be holding something in front of her face, believed to be a camera. She can be seen in multiple photographs of the scene. Even after the shooting, when most people had fled, she remained and continued filming. Soon after, she was seen heading eastward up Elm Street. The FBI publicly urged the woman to come forward and provide the footage, but she never did.
In 1970, a woman named Beverly Oliver claimed to be the Babushka Lady, but her story was riddled with inconsistencies. She is largely considered to be a fraud. To this day, the true identity of the Babushka Lady remains unknown, as does her purpose for being at the scene. Even more puzzling is her continued refusal to come forward with the evidence she may have captured.
7. Kaspar Hauser
On May 26, 1828, a teenage boy emerged on the streets of Nuremberg, Germany, carrying a letter addressed to the captain of the 6th cavalry regiment. The letter, written by an anonymous author, explained that the boy had been entrusted to his care as an infant on October 7, 1812, and had never left his house. Now, the boy sought to join the cavalry, and the captain was instructed to either accept him or execute him. Hauser claimed that, for as long as he could remember, he had been kept completely alone in a small, dark, 2×1×1.5-meter cell—slightly larger than a single bed—where he slept on a straw mattress and played with a wooden horse. Hauser also stated that the first human contact he ever had was with a mysterious man who visited him shortly before his release, taking great care not to reveal his face. Rumors from as early as 1829 suggested that Kaspar Hauser might have been the hereditary prince of Baden, born on September 29, 1812, and who died within a month. It was claimed that this prince had been swapped with a dying baby, who later reappeared 16 years later as 'Kaspar Hauser' in Nuremberg. Hauser died from a stab wound to the chest, which may have been self-inflicted. He claimed that the man who had kept him as an infant was the one who had stabbed him.
In 2002, the University of Münster conducted an analysis of hair and body cells from locks of hair and clothing items that were purportedly from Kaspar Hauser. The DNA samples were compared with a DNA segment from Astrid von Medinger, a descendant in the female line of Stéphanie de Beauharnais, who would have been Kaspar Hauser’s mother if he truly was the hereditary prince of Baden. Although the DNA sequences were not identical, the deviation was not significant enough to rule out a possible relationship, as it could be attributed to a mutation.
6. Fulcanelli
Fulcanelli (1839 – ?1953) is the pseudonym of a French alchemist and author from the late 19th century, whose true identity remains a mystery. His life and works are shrouded in secrecy, which has led to him becoming a cultural phenomenon. One of the more elaborate stories recounts how his loyal student, Eugene Canseliet (pictured above), managed to turn 100 grams of lead into gold using a small amount of 'Projection Powder' provided by his teacher.
It is said that, just before World War II, the Abwehr (the German intelligence service) was in active pursuit of Fulcanelli due to his extensive knowledge of nuclear weapons technology. Fulcanelli had met with a French atomic physicist, sharing accurate details about atomic weaponry and even claiming that such weapons had been used against humanity in ancient times.
According to Canseliet (Fulcanelli’s student), his final meeting with Fulcanelli occurred in 1953, years after the master’s mysterious disappearance. Canseliet traveled to Spain, where he was taken to a mountain castle for a reunion with his former teacher. Although Canseliet had known Fulcanelli as an elderly man in his 80s, the master now appeared as a man in his 50s. Their brief encounter ended with Fulcanelli vanishing once again, leaving no trace of his whereabouts. By this time, Fulcanelli would have been 114 years old. [Source]
5. D. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper (also known as 'Dan Cooper') is the alias of a notorious hijacker who, on November 24, 1971, after receiving a ransom of $200,000, jumped from the rear of a Boeing 727 while it was flying over the Pacific Northwest, somewhere above the southern Cascades.
Cooper has never been seen again, and it remains unknown whether he survived the jump. In 1980, an eight-year-old boy discovered $5,800 in soggy $20 bills along the banks of the Columbia River. The serial numbers matched those of the ransom money, which had been recorded to make it easier to trace Cooper later.
Cooper made his escape by jumping from the rear airstair with a parachute, prompting aviation authorities to implement stricter aircraft design regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future. Additionally, this event led to the installation of metal detectors at airports for the first time.
4. Comte St Germain
The Count of St. Germain (who is said to have died on February 27, 1784) was a courtier, adventurer, inventor, amateur scientist, violinist, composer, and a man of mystery, with certain skills related to alchemy. He was often referred to as 'Der Wundermann' — 'The Wonderman.' His origins were unknown, and he vanished without leaving any trace. In 1745, Horace Walpole described him as:
...the other day, an odd man named Count St. Germain was seized. He had been in this area for two years but refused to reveal his true identity or origin. He claimed not to be using his real name. He was an accomplished violinist, a composer, and perhaps a little mad. Some thought he was an Italian, a Spaniard, a Pole; others believed he had married a wealthy woman in Mexico and absconded with her jewels to Constantinople; some even thought him to be a priest or a nobleman. The Prince of Wales was extremely curious about him, but to no avail. Nothing could be proven against him, so he was released. What convinced me he wasn’t truly a gentleman was his claim that he had been arrested as a spy.
After his death, several occult groups adopted him as a symbolic figure or even as a powerful deity. More recently, several individuals have come forward claiming to be the Count of St. Germain.
3. Green Children of Woolpit
The Green Children of Woolpit were two siblings who appeared in the village of Woolpit, Suffolk, UK, in the 12th century. They had green skin, though they looked otherwise completely normal. The children spoke an unknown language and would only eat food made from bean pods. Eventually, their green complexion faded. Upon learning English, they revealed that they came from a place called the ‘Land of St. Martin,’ where the sun never rose high above the horizon. They claimed to have been tending their father’s herd when they followed a glowing river and heard the sound of bells, which led them to Woolpit.
Several theories have been proposed regarding the origin of the Green Children, including the idea that they were from the Hollow Earth, a parallel dimension, or even extraterrestrial in nature.
2. Gil Pérez
Gil Pérez, a Spanish soldier, mysteriously appeared in Mexico City on October 26, 1593. He was dressed in the uniform of the guards at the Del Gobernador Palace in the Philippines. He had no explanation for how he arrived in Mexico, stating that just moments before, he had been on duty at the governor’s palace in Manila. He informed the authorities that the governor, Don Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, had just been assassinated.
Two months later, news from the Philippines arrived by ship, confirming that the governor had indeed been killed and verifying other details of Perez’s story. Witnesses corroborated that Perez had been on duty in Manila just before his sudden appearance in Mexico. Furthermore, a passenger on the ship recognized Perez and testified that he had seen him in the Philippines on October 23. Perez eventually returned to the Philippines, resuming his life, which remained uneventful until his death. You can read a more detailed article on Gil Perez here.
1. Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask (died November 1703) was a prisoner who spent time in various jails, including the Bastille, during the reign of King Louis XIV of France. His true identity remains a mystery because his face was concealed by a black velvet mask, later referred to as an 'Iron' mask in fictional retellings. The first known records mentioning this prisoner date back to 1669, when Louis XIV’s minister assigned him to the care of the governor of Pignerol prison.
According to a letter accompanying the prisoner, his name was Eustache Dauger. The letter instructed the governor to prepare a cell with multiple doors to prevent eavesdropping. The prisoner was forbidden to speak to anyone about anything other than his immediate needs, with the threat of death if he did. Only the governor was allowed to see him and provided his daily food. When the prisoner died, all his belongings were destroyed. To this day, his true identity remains unknown.
