January 26, 1972Srbská Kamenice, CzechoslovakiaA airliner carrying 28 people explodes mid-air, leaving only 22-year-old flight attendant Vesna Vulović alive About an hour after the DC-9 airplane took off from Copenhagen to Belgrade, it was broken apart by an explosion. It is believed many of those aboard the aircraft were sucked out of the vessel and…
Unsolved: Two young adults are found murdered in their camper
January 9, 1979Near Grant, FloridaThe bodies of Franklin Schumaker and Patricia Doyle (both 22) are found in their camper at a rest stop Workers investigated the camper rented by Schumaker (alternatively spelled in more recent reports as Shumaker) and Doyle after becoming suspicious as the vehicle remained parked for an extended period of time. Inside…
Oil tanker explodes, kills 50
January 8, 1979Whiddy Island, Bantry Bay, IrelandThe Betelgeuse, an oil tanker, explodes while docked at a jetty, killing 50 The vessel, which was carrying 39 million gallons (147,000 kiloliters) of crude oil was docked at the offshore jetty while performing an oil-removal operation. An eyewitness reported seeing a small fire on the ship around 12:30…
Man with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva dies of pneumonia, is later displayed to help others understand the condition
November 11, 1973Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaHarry Raymond Eastlack dies of pneumonia Eastlack had a condition called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), also referred to as Stone Man Syndrome. FOP is a rare genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 2,000,000 births and shows very little evidence at birth aside from a malformation of the great toes. FOP causes the…
The body of an unidentified teen, who will remain unidentified for another four decades, is found in a cornfield
November 10, 1979Caledonia, New YorkThe body of an unidentified female is found in a cornfield; her identity will remain unsolved for nearly 40 years The body, later referred to as Caledonia Jane Doe or simply Cali, was discovered by two men tending to their cornfield. She was initially estimated to be 20 years old, though…
