In 1794, Daniel McGinnis found the money pit. A mysterious man imprisoned behind a velvet mask. These historic mysteries are still unsolved. Scholars have several theories that attempt to explain these mysteries. Examine interesting web sites about these historic mysteries.

Oak Island

In 1794 a young man, Daniel McGinnis came across a circular depression in the earth. A tree above this depression had signs of being used to lower something into the depression. This depression was obviously a man made hole. This began the 200-year mystery of Oak Island and the Money Pit found by McGinnis.

The Web site, The Mysterious & Unexplained, maintained by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., contains the story of this mystery. Here you will find a history of the Island, and everything known about the money pit and the treasure it might hold. Including theories about who dug the pit and why they went to such an extraordinary precaution in guarding it.

The Man in The Iron Mask

In 1703, a mysterious, unknown prisoner of King Louis XIV died in the Bastille. He, like all prisoners who ended their lives in the Bastille was buried under a false name. The name given this mysterious prisoner was Eustache Dauger, valet. He had been imprisoned for 34 years.

What was his crime? Why was he not allowed to speak, save to express his everyday needs? Why had the king taken such extraordinary precautions to prevent recognition of this man?

These questions, scholars have been trying to answer for years. This mysterious man has been the subject of a 19th century novel by Alexandre Dumas.

We do know that this man was well cared for while in prison. Whatever his crime, it was too dangerous to be executed by the King. We also know that he was arrested at Dunkirk in 1669. He was first sent to the Pignerol Prison near Turin, which was a part of France at the time.

We also know the name of his keeper, M.Saint-Mars. Whenever Mars was assigned to another prison, his mysterious prisoner went with him. The Mask was a precaution, not a punishment. The man's mask was velvet not iron. He only wore the mask when he was transferred to the Bastille in 1698.

Who was this mysterious man? Scholars do know that this man may have resembled a very important individual, thus the extraordinary precautions in maintaining his secret identity. The Man in the Iron Mask is one of histories, most baffling mysteries.

These are just two historic mysteries that defy explanation. For more historic mysteries, look at the Historic Mysteries and Legends internet resource section of this site.