D.B. Cooper, the man who hijacked a plane and stole $200,000

In 1971 a man known as D.B. Cooper boarded a flight from Portland to Seattle. Cooper was a quiet man who appeared to be in his mid-40s, wearing a business suit with a black tie and white shirt.

He ordered a drink, bourbon and soda, while the flight was waiting to take off. A short time after 3:00 p.m., he handed the stewardess a note indicating that he had a bomb in his briefcase and wanted her to sit with him.

The stunned stewardess did as she was told. Opening a cheap attaché case, Cooper showed her a glimpse of a mass of wires and red colored sticks and demanded that she write down what he told her.

He demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes upon landing in Seattle. Once the money and parachutes were delivered, Cooper released the passengers and ordered the pilot to fly to Mexico City.

Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: He jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money. The pilots landed safely, but Cooper had disappeared into the night and his ultimate fate remains one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.