March Bizarre and Unique Holidays

Just like all the other months, March has its share of bizarre, unusual, and unique holidays.  March also has month long celebrations:  Music in Our Schools Month, National Craft Month, National Frozen Food Month, National Irish American Heritage Month (designated by Congress in 1995), National Nutrition Month, National Peanut Month, National Women's History Month, Red Cross Month, and Social Workers Month.

In addition to the month long celebrations, March also has some week long celebrations.  The second week in March is host to two celebrations: National Bubble Week and Crochet Week.

March 1          National Pig Day

March 1          Peanut Butter Lovers Day

March 2          Old Stuff Day—When asking someone "What's new?" or "What's happening?" you quite often get the stock answer of "Same old stuff."  Old Stuff Day is in recognition of that standard answer indicating a boring life.  This is a day to NOT do the same old stuff and perpetuate your boring routine.  Do something…anything…as long as it's different.

March 3          I Want You To Be Happy Day

March 3          If Pets Had Thumbs Day

March 3          National Anthem Day

March 3          Peach Blossom Day

March 4          Holy Experiment Day

March 4          Hug A GI Day—Give a big hug to any and all GIs you see today.  It's a small thanks to the men and women who serve their country.

March 3          Employee Appreciation Day (the first Friday in March)

March 3          National Salesperson Day (the first Friday in March)

March 5          Multiple Personality Day.

March 6          Dentist's Day

March 6          National Frozen Food Day

March 7          National Crown Roast Of Pork Day

March 8          Be Nasty Day

March 8          International (Working) Women's Day

March 9          Panic Day—Try to stay calm.  Take a deep breath.  Will you be able to handle today?  Don't worry or fret and, above all, don't panic.

March 10        Middle Name Pride Day

March 11        Johnny Appleseed Day

March 11        Worship of Tools Day

March 12        Girl Scout Day

March 12        Plant A Flower Day

March 13        Ear Muff Day—This seems to be doubly appropriate given all the cold, snowy, and icy weather we've had this winter.  In addition to keeping your ears warm, they protect you from ear infections and ear aches resulting from icy cold wind and weather.  They come in a variety of designs and colors to fit almost anyone's personality.

March 13        Jewel Day

March 13        Popcorn Lovers Day

March 14        Learn About Butterflies Day

March 14        National Potato Chip Day

March 14        National Pi Day—celebrated on 3.14, which is the value of Pi.

March 15        Everything You Think Is Wrong Day—always celebrated March 15.  This is the day when nothing goes right and we've all had those days.  This is a special day to recognize that everyone has the occasional bad day.

March 15        Ides Of March, as made famous by Shakespeare when the soothsayer says to Caesar, Beware the Ides of March.

March 15        Incredible Kid Day

March 15        Dumbstruck Day—This is the day to be dumbstruck over the things you see, hear, and read.  Today is the day to be dumbstruck like the rest of us without guilt or embarrassment.

March 16        National Quilting Day

March 16        Everything You Do Is Right Day—This could be the perfect day.  Some days are good, some are bad, and most are a combination of both good and bad.  Today is the opposite of yesterday…Everything You Think Is Wrong Day.

March 16        Freedom Of Information Day

March 17        Submarine Day (the sandwich or the boat? Perhaps both.)

March 17        St. Patrick's Day

March 18        Goddess of Fertility Day

March 18        supreme Sacrifice Day

March 19        Poultry Day

March 20        International Earth Day

March 20        Extraterrestrial Abductions Day—Keep an eye on the skies and be ready to duck and hide.  Celebrate today by reading and watching science fiction stories about UFOs, but be sure to keep out of sight…just in case.

March 20        Proposal Day

March 21        Fragrance Day

March 22        National Goof Off Day

March 23        National Chip And Dip Day

March 23        Near Miss Day

March 24        National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

March 25        National Agriculture Day (date varies)

March 25        Pecan Day

March 25        Waffle Day

March 26        Make Up Your Own Holiday Day—The object of this day is to allow one day for a topic or event of your choice that has otherwise escaped special recognition.  Simply declare this to be whatever special holiday you wish.

March 27        National "Joe" Day

March 28        Something On A Stick Day

March 29        National Mom And Pop Business Owners Day

March 29        Smoke And Mirrors Day

March 30        National Doctors Day

March 30        I Am In Control Day—This day is closely related to March 9th Panic Day.  Perhaps you went through Panic Day before getting things under control and now you're celebrating.

March 30        Take A Walk In The Park Day

March 31        Bunsen Burner Day

March 31        National Clam On The Half Shell Day—Thank goodness someone thought to create this holiday.  Don't hide in your shell today and don't clam up.  Get out and celebrate!

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Good question. Just ask some of the Hollywood celebrities whose careers would probably never have gotten off the ground using the name they were born with.

Back in the days when the major Hollywood movie studios literally ruled the performer's lives with iron-fisted control—told the stars which movies they were allowed to make, who they could date, hushed up affairs, covered up pregnancies of unwed actresses, made drunk driving arrests go away and paid off victims, and in some instances it's even rumored that they covered up murder—they also controlled the star's name.

Nowadays it's a matter of individual choice whether or not a celebrity wants to select a name more suited to his/her career with some nearly unpronounceable names appearing on the marquee belonging to celebrities who chose to stay with their real name…something that never would have been allowed in the golden days of the studios.

Here are a few celebrities, some of them old school and others current, whose name change definitely helped their careers.

Fred Astaire, certainly one of the greatest dancers of the 20^th century, but would he have been as successful as Frederick Austerlitz? And what about his partner from many of his films, Ginger Rogers? Would she have been as popular as Virginia Katherine McMath? Somehow, Frederick Austerlitz and Virginia Katherine McMath just wouldn't have lit up the marquee.

And then there's Mariska Hargitay's mother, Vera Jayne Palmer. She might not have been as successful without the name change to Jayne Mansfield. And Mariska's co-star on Law & Order—SVU, would Tracy Morrow be as interesting as Ice-T is, especially for someone who started his career as a rapper?

How many women would actually have swooned over the man who is considered one of "Hollywood's all-time definitive romantic leading men" if Archibald Alexander Leach hadn't changed his name to Cary Grant?

Would that famous Jack Benny stare have been as funny coming from Benjamin Kubelsky?

What about a movie marquee announcing Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. and Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff rather than Rock Hudson and Doris Day?

Would "Missed it by that much!" or "would you believe…" have been such great catch phrases if they had been uttered by Donald James Yarmy rather than Don Adams?

Would Boris Karloff have been anywhere near as frightening if he had kept his birth name of William Henry Pratt?

Would Wolfgang Puck have been as successful as a chef and restaurateur under the name of Wolfgang Johannes Topfschnig?

Would we be as mesmerized by the magical illusions of David Copperfield if they were being performed by David Seth Kotkin?

Would Whoopi Goldberg be as funny if she was working under her real name of Caryn Elaine Johnson?

We have that teenage song and dance team from those old MGM musicals, Joseph Yule, Jr., and Frances Ethel Gumm. Would they have been as successful if they hadn't changed their names to Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland?

And what about one of the most famous comedy teams in show business history, Crocetti and Levitch? You probably know them better as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

What about Bernard Schwartz? Would he ever have been as popular a leading man if he hadn't changed his name to Tony Curtis?

And Sir Elton John, does he look like a Reginald Kenneth Dwight?

Can you picture Tina Fey as Elizabeth Stamatina Fey?

Or Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as Eric Marlon Bishop?

Would Oscar winner Ben Kingsley's statuette be the same with the name Krishna Pandit Bhanji engraved on it?

Can you picture Elvis Costello as Declan Patrick MacManus?

And what about Oscar winner Michael Caine? Would he have that Oscar if he hadn't changed his name from Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.? 

And then there's that most famous mouse of all time. Did you know that Walt Disney had originally given his mouse creation the name of Mortimer? Walt's wife, Lillian, felt that Mortimer didn't fit the character Walt had created. She suggested the name Mickey.

There are so many more that I could have listed here, the famous who changed their name in pursuit of a career. Some from days of yore and others current. Do you have any particular favorite celebrities who have chosen to do the name change?

History of President's Day Holiday

President's Day is a legal federal holiday in the U.S. originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington. It's currently celebrated on the third Monday in February. In 2023, that's February 20th. The federal government still officially calls it Washington's Birthday. When first established, it was celebrated on February 22—Washington's actual date of birth.

The story of President's Day begins in 1800. Following President George Washington's death in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration.

While Washington's Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until late 1879 that it became a federal holiday when President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country.

The shift from Washington's Birthday to President's Day began in the late 1960s when Congress proposed a measure known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law shifted the celebration of several federal holidays from specific dates to a series of predetermined Mondays creating three-day holiday weekends. While some argued that shifting holidays from their original dates would cheapen their meaning, the bill had widespread support. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington's Birthday with Abraham Lincoln's, which fell on February 12, thus giving equal recognition to two of America’s most famous presidents.

The main piece of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed in 1968 and officially took effect in 1971 following an executive order from President Richard Nixon. Washington's Birthday was then shifted from the fixed date of February 22 to the third Monday of February.

Washington and Lincoln still remain the two most recognized leaders, but President's Day is now popularly seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of America's chief executives. For its part, the federal government has held fast to the original incarnation of the holiday as a celebration of the country's first president. The third Monday in February is still listed on official calendars as Washington's Birthday. [I just took a look at my office calendar and it shows February 20, 2023, the third Monday in February, as President's Day rather than Washington's birthday.] 

Valentine's Day—The Good And The Bad

The Good:

Valentine's Day is that time of the year when cards, flowers, candy, jewelry, and other tokens of affection are given to loved ones in the name of St. Valentine.  But who is St. Valentine and why do we celebrate his holiday every year?

One legend says Valentine was a priest in the third century in Rome.  Emperor Claudius II decided single men made better soldiers so he outlawed marriage for young men.  Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.  Claudius ordered him put to death.

Another story has Valentine killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.

And yet another story says Valentine was the one who sent the first Valentine greeting while he was in prison.  He fell in love with a young girl, possibly the jailor's daughter, who visited him while he was imprisoned.  Before his death, he wrote her a letter and signed it From your Valentine, an expression that has transcended time to continue as a common expression for the holiday.

St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, is a combination of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.  One theory says we celebrate Valentine's Day in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial which probably occurred around 270A.D., while others believe that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to Christianize celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card sending holiday, surpassed only by the exchange of Christmas cards.  Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia in addition to the United States.

The Bad:

The St. Valentine's Day massacre—the most spectacular gangland slaying in mob history.

Al Capone (known to be the mastermind, but never charged for the crime) had arranged for his chief rival, Chicago mobster George 'Bugs' Moran and most of his North Side Gang, to be eliminated on February 14, 1929.  The plan was simple and deviously clever, yet Capone's primary target escaped any injury.  Capone distanced himself from the execution of the plan (and the execution of his rivals) by spending the time at his home in Florida thus providing himself with a solid alibi.

A bootlegger loyal to Capone was to draw Moran and his gang to a warehouse to receive a shipment of smuggled whiskey, the delivery set for 10:30AM on Valentine's Day.

The morning of February 14 was cold and snowy.  A group of Moran's men waited for Bugs at the red brick warehouse at 2122 North Clark Street.  Moran was running late.  When his car turned the corner onto Clark Street, he spotted a police wagon pulling up to the warehouse.  Assuming it was a raid, he watched as five men, three of them dressed in police uniforms, entered the building.  Moran and the two men with him, immediately left the area.

Inside the warehouse, the hit men, disguised as police, confronted Moran's men.  Assuming it was a routine bust, they followed instructions when ordered to line up against the wall.  The hit men opened fire with Thompson submachine guns, killing six of the seven men immediately.  The seventh man, with twenty-two bullet wounds, survived the attack but died after arriving at the hospital.

The newspapers instantly picked up on the crime, dubbing it the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.  The story appeared on front pages around the country, making Capone a national celebrity.  But to his dismay, this new found notoriety also brought a new level of attention from federal law enforcement culminating in his conviction for tax evasion and his incarceration at Alcatraz.  With all the law enforcement agencies trying to bring down Capone, it was a tax accountant working for the Internal Revenue Service who finally did it. 

Bizarre and Unique February Holidays

February may be a short month, but it certainly is not short on the bizarre, unique, and weird when it comes to holidays—celebrations above and beyond the legal holidays where government offices, banks, and schools are closed for the day.

There are several month long designations in February:  American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Black History Month, Canned Food Month, Creative Romance Month, Great American Pie Month, National Cherry Month, National Children's Dental Health Month, National Grapefruit Month, and National Wedding Month.

February also has a week long celebration: the third week is International Flirting Week.

Hmmm…American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Creative Romance Month, National Wedding Month, and International Flirting Week.  How appropriate that they should all be in the month that gives us Valentine's Day.  :)

Feb. 1              National Freedom Day

Feb. 2              Ground Hog Day

Always celebrated on February 2.  On this day, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap and goes outside of his den.  If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, Spring is rapidly approaching.  The tradition comes from the German roots of Candlemas which is the midpoint between Winter and Spring.

Feb. 2              Candlemas

Feb. 3              The Day The Music Died

Always celebrated on February 3. On this date in 1959 singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash.  The event was immortalized in the popular song, American Pie, written and recorded by Don McLean.

Feb. 4              Create A Vacuum Day

Feb. 4              Thank A Mailman Day

Feb. 5              National Weatherman's Day

Always celebrated on February 5.  According to the Air Force News, this holiday "commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen."  He was born on February 5, 1744, and kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.  This holiday honors the men and women who work hard to accurately predict the often fickle weather.  Even with the major technological advances including super computers and satellites, forecasting weather is still a tricky, ever changing, and always challenging task.

Feb. 6              Lame Duck Day

Feb. 7              Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day

Feb. 7              Send A Card To A Friend Day (a holiday created by Hallmark?)

Feb. 8              Boy Scout Day

Feb. 8              Kite Flying Day

Always celebrated on February 8 (but why in the middle of winter?).  People have enjoyed flying kites for thousands of years, both children and adults.  The most well-known kite flyer is undoubtedly Benjamin Franklin with his key and lightning experiment.  Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago.

Feb. 9              Toothache Day

Feb. 10            Umbrella Day

Feb. 11            Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Feb. 11            Make A Friend Day

Feb. 11            White T-Shirt Day

Feb. 12            Plum Pudding Day

Feb. 12            Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (combined with George Washington's birthday, it's legally celebrated as President's Day the third Monday of February, on the 20th this year)

Feb. 13            Clean Out Your Computer Day (the 2nd Monday of the month)

Feb. 13            Get A Different Name Day

Always celebrated on February 13.  This day is for those who are not fond of their given name.  It's the day to take steps to change your name (and don't forget to notify those who need to know about your new name).

Feb. 14            Ferris Wheel Day

Feb. 14            National Organ Donor Day

Feb. 14            Valentine's Day

Feb. 15            Candlemas (on the old Julian Calendar)

Feb. 15            National Gum Drop Day

Feb. 15            Singles Awareness Day

Feb. 16            Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Feb. 17            Random Acts of Kindness Day

Always celebrated on February 17.  You know what to do…perform a few random acts of kindness.  Almost any kind deed will do.  And remember—Random Acts of Kindness is highly contagious.

Feb. 18            National Battery Day

Feb. 19            National Chocolate Mint Day

Feb. 20            President's Day

A combination of Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday always celebrated on the third Monday of the month.

Feb. 20            Cherry Pie Day

Feb. 20            Hoodie Hoo Day

Always celebrated on February 20.  On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo."  This is the day to chase away the winter blahs (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Feb. 20            Love Your Pet Day

Feb. 21            Card Reader Day (another Hallmark creation or a computer port for SD cards?)

Feb. 22            George Washington's Birthday (combined with Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, it's celebrated as the legal holiday of President's Day on the third Monday of February, on the 20th this year).

Feb. 22            Be Humble Day

Feb. 22            Walking The Dog Day

Feb. 22            International World Thinking Day

Feb. 23            International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Feb. 23            Tennis Day

Feb. 24            National Tortilla Chip Day

Always celebrated on February 24.  The corn chip recipe was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by a Texas businessman.  Just a few decades ago, Americans seldom ate corn chips and salsa.  Today it's wildly popular.

Feb. 25            Pistol Patent Day

Feb. 26            National Pistachio Day

Feb. 26            Tell A Fairy Tale Day

Feb. 27            Polar Bear Day

Feb. 27            No Brainer Day

Always celebrated on February 27th.  By definition, a no brainer is doing something simple, easy, obvious, and/or totally logical.  If a project requires thinking, study, or analysis of any kind, then this is not the day for it.

Feb. 28            Floral Design Day

Feb. 28            Public Sleeping Day

Feb. 28            National Tooth Fairy Day (sometimes celebrated on August 22)

So…enjoy your favorite bizarre, weird, and unique celebration/holiday.

Mysterious Cold Cases That Are Still Unsolved part 2 of 2

This week in part 2 of my blog about cold cases. I'm continuing with a brief look at more baffling unsolved police cases and mysteries. Not only are they unsolved after many decades, there's a good chance that they never will be solved.

LIZZIE BORDEN

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. A popular children's rhyme from days gone by. But do we know what event it actually refers to? The oldest of the cold cases covered in parts 1 and 2 of my blog—on August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden's step-mother was murdered with several blows from an axe (but not anything near forty whacks) then shortly afterward her father came home from his office at lunch time, stretched out on the couch to take a nap, and was subsequently also murdered with an axe. Lizzie was arrested for the crime but acquitted by a male jury who believed that a woman couldn't have committed such a crime. No one else was arrested.

THE TORSO MURDERS

A serial killer committed brutal murders in Cleveland, Ohio, between September 5, 1934, and August 16, 1938. They were dubbed Torso Murders because the victims were decapitated, some of them while still alive. Eliot Ness of prohibition's Untouchables fame was Safety Director of Cleveland at the time. For five decades the murders remained unsolved. On December 5, 2022, a man already in prison for similar murders in New York and New Jersey claimed responsibility for the Cleveland murders but so far it's unproven.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

Elizabeth Short has become one of the most investigated murder victims in history. The aspiring actress' brutal murder has had Hollywood's attention for decades. Her nude and dismembered body was discovered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. There were many suspects, arrests were made but never went to trial, many books written, movies made, many theories about the identity of the killer, one put forth by a retired Los Angeles police detective who believed his father was the killer, but none of the accusations were ever proven.

JIMMY HOFFA

A name certainly representative of 'unsolved crime.' The former Teamster's Union president disappeared on July 30, 1975, from Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. He disappeared and his body was never found. The prevailing theory is that he was murdered by the Mafia with a long list of possible sites where they allegedly disposed of his body. He was declared legally dead in 1982.

DIAN FOSSEY

The anthropologist studying gorillas in Rwanda was hacked to death with a machete. Her body was discovered December 26, 1985, in her cabin. It is commonly believed that she was murdered by poachers although no one has ever been arrested.

BOB CRANE MURDER

The star of Hogan's Heroes was found bludgeoned and strangled in his apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona, on June 29, 1978. He was appearing in a dinner theater production of Beginner's Luck. Following his death, many accusations and theories appeared about his sex addition which was placed at the cause for his murder. Many years later John Henry Carpenter, Crane's longtime friend and sometimes business partner, was arrested for the crime. He was acquitted after a trial in 1994. No one else has ever been accused.

JONBENET RAMSEY

The 6 year old child beauty contest participant was discovered murdered in the basement of the family home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. Her parents and a 9 year old brother were the only people in the house at the time. Lots of speculation and accusations, even a public conflict between the District Attorney's office and the Police Department on how the case was handled. No suspects have ever been arrested.

This is only a sampling of the many unsolved cases on record.

Mysterious Cold Cases That Are Still Unsolved, part 1 of 2

The Zodiac Killer coded message

Everybody loves a good mystery, but what happens when there isn't a satisfying ending? The moment where those meddling kids of the Scooby Do gang reveal who the culprit is? Probably the most famous cold case is Jack The Ripper, but through modern DNA testing, he was finally identified a few years ago. The following unsolved police cases are strange, creepy, and without a conclusion. There are lists of more famous unsolved cases, some of which I'll look at next week in part 2 of 2, but these are some of the most baffling unsolved police cases and mysteries of our time.

1. THE ZODIAC KILLER

Most people are usually quiet about their crimes, but "Zodiac", as he dubbed himself, was anything but. In 1968-1969, he terrorized San Francisco with his murder spree, taunting the police with coded letters he sent to the local newspaper. He had at least five killings directly connected to him, although he claims to have killed 37 people. The Zodiac Killer continued killing and leaving frustrating evidence for the police—coded letters, anonymous phone calls, the crossed-circle—but the police never found him.

2. THE TARA CALICO CASE

On the morning of September 20th, 1988 in Belen, New Mexico, Tara Calico borrowed her mother's bike to go out for a spin. She never returned. Every lead went to a dead end until a year later, when a photo was found depicting a young woman her age and a missing boy, both gagged. The Polaroid photograph was found in a parking lot outside a Junior Food Store in Florida. The nine-year-old, Michael Henley, went missing in the same area as Calico in April of 1988. In 1990, the boy's body was found in Zuni Mountains where he was last seen, which strongly disconnects the one time theory that the two were abducted and taken to Florida. Calico's parents would eventually die, never finding out who took their daughter.

3. THE SEVERED FEET MYSTERY

In 2007, a girl was roaming a beach in British Columbia when she found a sneaker. To her horror, as she opened up the sock, she found that a human foot was inside. Since then, a number of severed feet had washed ashore. The feet have been connected to five men, one a woman, and three of unknown sex. The Vancouver police managed to identify one foot in 2008, matching its DNA to a man who was described as suicidal. They later were able to match two other feet to a woman who was also believed to have committed suicide. Because of these findings, many speculate that the feet belong to those who jumped off a bridge to their deaths. However, because of the rarity of only feet and no other body parts showing up, some believe that the feet were connected to a plane crash by a nearby island. Other suggest they were those of the victims of the Asian Tsunami in 2004, since the make of the shoes were all manufactured before 2004. Whatever sources these feet are coming from, they have left the world baffled for years.

4. THE DEAD WOMAN WHO NAMED HER KILLER

Although this case has been solved, how it was solved remains a mystery. In 1977, a respiratory therapist in Chicago was murdered in her apartment. Teresita Basa was found under a flaming mattress, a butcher knife buried in her chest. Police attempted to track her stolen jewelry with no luck. They also failed in trying to link any of the suspects to the crime. It seemed impossible to find the perpetrator, that is, until Remy Chua, a co-worker who barely knew the victim, involuntarily became a leading source of information. She began having frequent visions and nightmares about Basa and eventually revealed the solution. Was it really Basa's ghost who named her killer? Whatever led police to the killer remains a mystery.

5. THE BOY IN THE BOX

It was the year 1957 in Philadelphia when a hunter found the bruised body of a boy in a JC Penney box. The boy, around four to six years-old, was nude and wrapped in flannel. He seemed to have died from blows to the head. Fearing his muskrat traps would be confiscated by police, the hunter didn't report the body. It was two days later when a college student found the body, that the police started on the case of "America's Unknown Child." It immediately attracted the media's attention, and flyers of the boy were seen throughout Pennsylvania. Although police received thousands of leads, they were never able to uncover the identity of the young boy. They tried tracing back the JC Penney box and checking the boy's fingerprints, but everything led to a dead end. A medical examiner, who pursued the case until his death, had a psychic lead him to a foster home, where he found a bassinet similar to the one that was sold in the box. Hanging on the clothesline were blankets much like the one wrapped around the boy. He believed the boy belonged to the stepdaughter of the man who ran the home, and she didn't want to be found as an unwed mother. Police interviewed the couple, but closed the investigation. In 2003, they opened the case again when interviewing a woman identified as "M" who claimed her abusive mother bought the child back in 1954. According to "M", her mother killed the boy in a fit of rage. Because "M" was mentally unstable, the investigation was closed, leaving the boy to remain "America's Unknown Child."

6. THE JEANETTE DEPALMA CASE

Usually people connect witches to Salem, MA, but for this particular case, the witches were in Springfield, New Jersey. It all started in 1972 when a dog brought home a decomposed forearm. This prompted a police search and a body was soon found afterwards atop a cliff in Springfield. The body was identified to be that of Jeanette DePalmer, a 16-year-old who had gone missing six weeks earlier. Immediately, rumors began spreading as to the cause of her death. The hill where she was discovered was covered with occult symbols and many believed her body was placed on a makeshift altar. Many locals, even some police members, blame a coven of witches, otherwise known as Satanists, who used DePalma for a human sacrifice. Much of the case details have been destroyed by a flood. However, some reports from local papers mention that police couldn't determine the cause of death due to her badly decomposed body. They had also investigated a local homeless man who was a prime suspect, only to find no connection with the killing. As for the occult theory, many believe that DePalma may have provoked a group of Satan worshipping teens at her high school when she was trying to evangelize them. She was involved with a group who helped drug addicts by finding faith in Christ. The reverend who ran the group theorized that she was selected as a sacrifice to the group because of this. Was she a human sacrifice? Or did these suspicions help hide the real killer? Perhaps no one will ever know

7. THE SS OURANG MEDAN

Ghost ships aren't just portrayed in legends and movies such as The Pirates of the Caribbean. In this true story, the entire crew mysteriously perished. It all started in 1947, when ships traveling the straits of Malacca (located between Sumatra and Malaysia) heard a troubling distress call. An American ship, Silver Star, answered the distress call and found the Ourang Medan, but there were no signs of the crew on the deck, even when they tried to call to them. And so they boarded the ship, only to find themselves in a horror scene. Scattered across the deck were the corpses of the Dutchmen, their faces construed in such a way one would think they had witnessed something ghastly before their demise. The captain's body was found on the bridge, while the communication officer was still at his post. Retreating to their ship again, they decided to tow the Ourang Medan to port. But as soon as they attached the tow line, smoke began billowing out of the ship, it exploded, and sank into a watery grave. Some believe it was the work of the paranormal. Others, have more scientific explanations. Many theorize that the Dutch ship was smuggling hazardous materials such as potassium cyanide and nitroglycerin. Sea water may have interacted with the cargo, causing the toxic gases to be released and poison the crew. The nitroglycerin would later cause the explosion.