Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a geographical area in the Atlantic Ocean famous for its supposed paranormal activities. It is roughly an equilateral triangular shape with its three corners located near the islands of Bermuda, Puerto Rico (near its capital city San Juan), and Miami, Florida, encompassing an area of nearly half a million square miles (1.2 million km2 ).
There are many claims of paranormal activity within the triangle, especially the unexplained disappearance of ships and aircraft, or of their crews. Other common claims made of the region are that the laws of physics do not apply there as they do elsewhere, or that extraterrestrial beings are responsible for the disappearances.

Map of the popularly-held dimensions of the Bermuda Triangle

The triangle
Although there are many opinions on exactly what area is covered, it is usually considered to be the triangular area already mentioned. Other shapes have been suggested, including more of a "trapezium" covering an area extending back into the Gulf of Mexico and down into the Caribbean Sea, or in fact no dimensions at all, or a shape incorporating all of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
To take advantage of prevailing winds, ships returning to Europe during the Age of Sail would sail north to the Carolinas before turning east to cross the north Atlantic. This pattern continued after the development of steam and internal combustion engines, meaning that much of the north Atlantic shipping traffic crossed (and still crosses) through the triangle's area.
The swift Gulf Stream ocean current flows through the triangle after leaving the West Indies. The combination of heavy maritime traffic and tempestuous weather made it inevitable that vessels could founder in storms and be lost without a trace — especially before improved telecommunications, radar and satellite technology arrived late in the 20th century. Vessels still sink occasionally, but rarely without a trace.[1]
Other areas often purported to possess unusual characteristics are the Devil's Sea, located near Japan, and the Marysburgh Vortex (or "Great Lakes Triangle"), located in eastern Lake Ontario. However, the "Devil's Sea" is not particularly well known in Japan, because most vessels lost were small fishing boats with no radios.

History
Christopher Columbus mentioned sightings of strange-looking animals near the border of the now designated "Bermuda Triangle", reporting that he and his crew observed "strange dancing lights on the horizon". On another occasion they observed what was most likely a falling meteor.[2] At another point he wrote in his log about bizarre compass bearings in the area.
The first documented mention of disappearances in the area was made in 1951 by E.V.W. Jones as a sidebar on the Associated Press wire service regarding recent ship losses. Jones' article noted the "mysterious disappearances" of ships, aircraft and small boats in the region and gave it the name "The Devil's Triangle". It was next mentioned in 1952 in a Fate Magazine article by George X. Sand, who outlined several "strange marine disappearances". In 1964, Vincent Geddis referred to the area as "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle" in an Argosy feature, after which the name "Bermuda Triangle" became most common.
Other responses
The marine insurer Lloyd's of London has determined the "triangle" to be no more dangerous than any other area of ocean, and does not charge unusual rates for passage through the region. Coast Guard records confirm their conclusion. In fact, the number of supposed disappearances is relatively insignificant considering the number of ships and aircraft which pass through on a regular basis.
Skeptics comment that the disappearance of a train between two stops would be more convincing evidence of paranormal activity, and the fact that such things do not occur suggests that paranormal explanations are not needed for the disappearance of ships and aircraft in the far less predictable open ocean.

List of incidents connected with the Triangle
• 1840: HMS Rosalie
• 1872: The Mary Celeste, one of the sea's greatest mysteries, but far outside the triangle when crew went missing
• 1909: The Spray
• 1917: SS Timandra - heading for Buenos Aires from Norfolk, VA; carrying coal; crew of 21 lost; no radio signal despite capability (there appear to have been two Timandras; this one is apparently the steam freighter)
• 1918: USS Cyclops (AC-4) disappears; storm in area, but last message after clearing port "Weather fair, all well," and even the US navy calls this "one of the sea's unsolved mysteries" [2]
• 1921: Cargo ship Carroll A. Deering runs aground at Cape Hatteras, the crew having disappeared without a trace[3].
• 1925: SS Cotopaxi reported she was listing off E coast of Florida, but no mayday sent; weather there calm
• 1926: SS Suduffco perhaps lost in bad weather (a captain in the area called it "The worst weather I've ever seen")
• 1938: HMS Anglo Australian heading for British Columbia from Cardiff, Wales Lost off Azores (2000 miles from the triangle) after signalling "passing Fayal this afternoon. All well"
• 1942: Free French submarine Surcouf apparently rammed by freighter Thompson Lykes near Panama Canal; both vessels travelling unlit due to threat of U-boats
• 1945: The disappearance of 5 Navy Avengers - Flight 19
• 1947: Army C-45 Superfort vanishes 100 miles off Bermuda
• 1948: SS Samkey (year also given as 1943, perhaps a misprint as she was only launched the same year) gave position as 41o48' N 24o W (NE of Azores); signals "all well"
• 31 January 1948: Four-engined Tudor IV Star Tiger, lost with 31 lives
• 27 December 1948: Douglas DC-3 NC16002 lost with 28 passengers and crew
• 17 January 1949: Second Tudor IV, Star Ariel, vanishes without a trace
• 1950: Giant US Air Force Globemaster lost
• 1950: American freighter, SS Sandra (350 ft), apparently sinks without a trace after passing St. Augustine, Florida en route for Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
• 1952: British York transport plane lost with 33 aboard
• 30 October 1954: US Navy Lockheed Constellation Flight 441 vanishes with 42 aboard
• 1956: US Navy seaplane, Martin P5M, disappears with crew of ten
• 14 October 1961: US Air Force SAC B-52 bomber Pogo 22 lost
• 1962: US Air Force KB-50 tanker plane lost
• 1963: Marine Sulphur Queen vanishes, probably off Dry Tortugas; carrying molten sulphur, and possibly unseaworthy. [4]
• 1967: Military YC-122, converted to cargo plane, lost
• 1967: cabin cruiser Witchcraft disappears one mile off Miami; had called coastguard requesting a tow, but on their arrival 19 minutes later no trace found [5].
• 1970: French freighter Milton Latrides disappears; sailing from New Orleans to Cape Town; carrying vegetable oils and caustic soda
• 1972: German freighter Anita (20,000 tons), lost with crew of 32; sister ship Norse Variant (both carrying coal) lost at same time; year sometimes given as 1973; survivor from latter found on raft described loss of ship in stormy weather - waves broke hatch cover and ship sank quickly
• 1976: SS Sylvia L. Ossa lost in heavy seas 140 miles west of Bermuda.
• 1978: SS Hawarden Bridge had previously been found with marijuana residue by USCG Cape Knox February '78 [6], found abandoned in West Indies a month later[7]; crime might be involved. scuttled November '78.
• 1978: Douglas DC-3 Argosy Airlines Flight 902, registration N407D, lost with four passengers and crew; vanished off radar scope while beginning approach for landing.
• 1980: SS Poet; carrying grain to Egypt, lost in storm but Marine Inquiry Board cannot state firm cause; no survivors
• 1995: Inter-island freighter Jamanic K (built 1943) reported lost after leaving Cap Haitien
• 1997: Passengers disappear from German yacht (name of yacht not stated, impossible to check either way)
• 1999: Freighter Genesis Lost after sailing from Port of Spain to St Vincent; cargo included 465 tons of water tanks, concrete slabs and bricks; reported problems with bilge pump before loss of contact. Search of 33,000 square miles of sea is fruitless.