1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: is an open book, all of these amazing tales are 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. Some legends are just 5 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: too mysterious to die off completely. Books are still written 6 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: about the Lindbergh Baby, the Zodiac Killer, and infamous thief 7 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: and airplane hijacker D. B. Cooper. Details are scarce or 8 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: in some cases disregarded, in favor of alternative theories that 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: present claims of supernatural involvement, secret societies, or other bizarre 10 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: solutions to unanswered questions. One such case has bewildered the 11 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: world for decades that has all the components for an 12 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: during legend, a renowned newsmaker, a grand test of endurance, 13 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: and a suspicious disappearance. In September of ninety three, British 14 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: Colonial Service officer Gerald Gallagher moved to a patch of 15 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: land in the Pacific called Gardner Island. He had been 16 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: put in charge of establishing a new settlement on behalf 17 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: of the British Empire. During his stay, Gallagher's men uncovered 18 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,919 Speaker 1: a strange collection of bones, as well as a human skull, 19 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: a shoe, an empty bottle, and a box. Gallagher sent 20 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: a telegram to a fellow officer explaining the discovery, as 21 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: he believed he'd stumbled onto something or someone actually that 22 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: was important. He was told to keep his findings to himself, though, 23 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: and tell no one else, but to send the bones 24 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: to British officials for analysis. It was a doctor Lindsay 25 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: Isaac who conducted the examination and determined the remains belonged 26 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: to a Polynesian male, not the famous person Gallagher had 27 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: believed it to be. The bones were then shipped off 28 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: the Fiji, where they were analyzed once again, this time 29 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: by one Dr d W. Hoodless, who had undergone no 30 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: training in forensic science. Doctor Hoodless's results fell in line 31 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: with Dr Isaac's, and so the bones were locked away, 32 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: the story all but forgotten, and it should have ended there. 33 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: But over the years others in the field of medical 34 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: forensics took issue with both doctors results. Scientists sought to 35 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: retest the skeleton. Rumors had swirled for decades as to 36 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: its real identity, and now science had caught up enough 37 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: to provide a definitive answer. There was only one problem. 38 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 1: The bones had disappeared. No one had any clue where 39 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: they had gone, but they did have Dr Isaac's and 40 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: doctor Hoodless's notes. Combining them with modern forensic practices, the 41 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: scientists were able to deduce several details that conflicted with 42 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: the original results. First, the skeleton most likely belonged to 43 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: a white female, not a Polynesian male. Secondly, a person 44 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: had been somewhere between five ft five and five ft 45 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: nine inches in height, but without the bones themselves, it 46 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: was impossible to say for sure who they might have 47 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: belonged to. Scientists, though, have their suspicions the Officer Gallagher 48 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: did too. In fact, people had been looking for them 49 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: since June of nineteen thirty seven. That was the month 50 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: at the United States Coast Guard and Navy spent four 51 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: weeks scouring the Pacific Ocean for evidence a wing, a body, 52 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: a pair of goggles, or perhaps the one item that 53 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: had rested in the box that Officer Gallagher had actually found, 54 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: a sextant. While the jury is still out as to 55 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: who was found on Gardner Island in ninety three, evidence 56 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: points to a famous explorer, one who has been the 57 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: subject of countless books and conspiracy theories. From crashing and 58 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: sinking to the bottom of the ocean to being captured 59 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: by the Japanese during World War Two. Everyone seems to 60 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: think they know what really happened. But to Officer Gallagher 61 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: and the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGER 62 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: as it's known, it's entirely possible that the bones found 63 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: on Gardner Island belonged to a veritable legend, the remarkable 64 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart Memento mori. It's Latin for remember you will die, 65 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: and it has become a mantra for thrill seekers and 66 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs to remind them to live life to the fullest. 67 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: We have a limited number of years on this planet, 68 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: after all, so we must make the most of them. 69 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: Some people repeat the phrase in their daily life, almost 70 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: like a kind of mantra. Others carry a token with them, 71 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: a tangible reminder that hardens the concept into something real. 72 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: Such tokens were common throughout history and were often fastened 73 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: into jewelry to be worn by the mindful and the grieving. 74 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: A ring with an ornate skull design might have been 75 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: worn by a mournful widow to honor her late husband. 76 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: A daughter might have gone about her life with a 77 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: photo of her deceased mother in a locket around her neck, 78 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: one of the most famous mementos ever created, though bears 79 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: the last remaining vestige of an American icon. Born in 80 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: Virginia in seventeen thirty two, George Washington is best known 81 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: as a Revolutionary War general and, of course being the 82 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: first President of the United States, but he was also 83 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: a devoted husband and friend. He began courting Martha Custis 84 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: in seventeen fifty eight, traveling over thirty miles on horseback 85 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: to spend time with her. Both parties were independently wealthy, attractive, 86 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: and ranked high on the social ladder. They fell in 87 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: love almost immediately and married one year later. Contrary to 88 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: popular practices at the time, Martha didn't have her husband 89 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: signed a prenuptial agreement to protect her assets from a 90 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: previous marriage. They had found in each other someone to 91 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: love and trust without question. Though he had no children 92 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: of his own, Washington happily helped raise Martha's son and 93 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: daughter from her first marriage. They lived a happy life, 94 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: with George turning their modest farmhouse in Mount Vernon into 95 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: an eleven thousand square foot estate. When he traveled George 96 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: left the home in Martha's care, and even though she 97 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: was glad for the independence, she also missed him terribly. 98 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: She would occasionally visit him during the revolution at his 99 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: winter encampments, greeting soldiers along the way and acting like 100 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: a beacon of light in the middle of a ark 101 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: and depressing time. Her effect on the troops was no 102 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: doubt felt throughout the war, and her presence may have 103 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: helped motivate her husband to succeed. Being apart for so 104 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: long weighed heavily upon their hearts. After the war, George 105 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: was elected the first president of the United States and 106 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: moved the family to New York and then Philadelphia, the 107 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: temporary capitals of the newly formed nation. They embraced their 108 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: new roles, and it was during George's second term when 109 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: he met another important person in his life, his friend 110 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: and confident Tobias Lear. Lear had tutored the Washington's children 111 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: and worked his way up within the family, from becoming 112 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: the president's clerk to his eventual business partner. They shared meals, stories, 113 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: and grew to be more like brothers than colleagues, and 114 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: Lear remained in touch with his dear friend long after 115 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: Washington retired back to Mount Vernon. Of course, that's where 116 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: George and Martha spent their final year, entertaining their grandchildren 117 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: and hosting parties for American elites. Through distance and war 118 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: and politics, the Washington's had emerged more in love than 119 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: ever before. Sadly, their love would not be enough to 120 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: endure George's stubbornness. In December of sevent he set out 121 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: on horseback to inspect his land in the middle of 122 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: a snowstorm. He returned to the house for dinner later 123 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: that night, where Martha and several guests had been waiting. 124 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: Not wanting to keep them from their meals any longer, 125 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: he remained in his cold, wet clothes while he ate. 126 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: The next day, George complained of a sore throat, but 127 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: continued his survey of the farm in the freezing weather. 128 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: That sore throat turned into a chess cold, and twenty 129 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: four hours later, George Washington had died in his bed 130 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: at Mount Vernon. By his side were Martha and longtime 131 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: friend to Bias Lear. Washington was buried four days later. 132 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 1: He had secretly given Lear in order to wait so 133 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: he would not be accidentally entombed alive, a common fear 134 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: in that era. Lear obliged out of a deep love 135 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,839 Speaker 1: and respect for the man who had taken him under 136 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: his wing. However, Washington had also given his friends something else, 137 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: a memento of their friendship and a tribute to his 138 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: meaning to the family. It was a brooch, composed of 139 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: beveled glass and adorned with rubies. Along the top. It 140 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: bore the words token of my friendship in French, and 141 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: entwined beneath that beveled glass were two locks of hair, 142 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: one belonging to George and the other to Martha. Their 143 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 1: life together was one of passion and undying affection. Even 144 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: in death, the two refused to remain apart. Not only 145 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: were they entombed together within the Mountain Vernon Mausoleum, but 146 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: their hair, the last evidence of their corporeal existence, was 147 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: preserved as a remind or to Tobias Lear that life 148 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: was to be lived as though every day might be 149 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: your last, and if possible, to do it with your 150 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: loved ones by your side. Oh and if you go 151 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: out in the cold, wear a hat. I hope you've 152 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe 153 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the 154 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was 155 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. 156 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 157 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 158 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the World of Lore 159 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.