They Never Came Back Trivia Quiz

Answer: South America

The British explorer and trader George Bass is remembered by many for his discovery of the strait between Australia and Tasmania. He surveyed much of the east coast of Australia making detailed maps. Bass was also a known trader, and when he brought a shipment of merchandise to Australia and could not get the price he asked for, he decided to look elsewhere for customers.

He disappeared while attempting to sail from Australia to South America with a heavily laden boat. He was never seen again and there is disagreement whether he was lost at sea or arrested as a smuggler when he reached Chile.

There are stories that he and his crew were forced to work in the silver mines for the rest of their lives. We will probably never know.

Answer: Percy Fawcett

Fawcett was a flamboyant explorer of the early 20th century. He made a series of mapmaking expeditions into the interior regions of Brazil and Bolivia. During these travels, he came to believe in the mythical city of "Z" which he believed existed in the dark interior regions of Brazil.

In 1925 Fawcett and two young men, one of them his son, ventured into the mysterious unmapped jungle, never to be seen again. Were they killed by hostile natives, became dinner for a hungry jaguar, or died of malaria or cholera? Numerous lives were lost in the search for this three man party, of whom nothing was ever found.

Answer: His missing brother

Miguel Corte-Real disappeared while searching for his brother Gaspar who disappeared while exploring regions of the North Atlantic while looking for the "Northwest Passage". Both brothers were backed by King Manuel of Portugal. Gaspar went missing in 1501 while exploring Newfoundland.

In 1502, with the King's backing, Miguel went looking for locations suitable for colonization by the Portuguese as well as for that mysterious passage that would allow him to reach the Pacific without sailing around South America.

He took three ships with him. They split up after reaching North America and his ship was never seen again. In 1912, a petroglyph covered boulder, known as the Dighton Rock, was discovered in Massachusetts. Some historians argue that the pictographs on the stone reveal that Miguel survived his trip and became an Indian chief in 1511.

Answer: Jean-Francois de Galaup Lapérouse

In 1785, the French King Louis XVI sent explorer Jean-Francois de Galaup Lapérouse on a global map-making expedition. It is recorded that his expedition rounded Cape Horn and spent a few years exploring and mapping the coastlines of Russia, Japan, Korea, and western North America.

He reached Australia in 1788 where he rested and restocked his supplies. After leaving Botany Bay, the whole expedition disappeared. Rescue crews arrived in 1791 and explored the region looking for survivors but no trace of Lapérouse or his ships was ever found.

Answer: Peng Jiamu

Peng Jiamu was a Chinese adventurer who disappeared while leading an expedition in the Lop Nor Desert. The Chinese biologist had done many previous ventures into some of China's most inhospitable areas in order to carry out research in biology, geology, and archeology. Several days into the journey he was found to be missing after a note was found on his bedroll stating he had gone out to look for water.

The Chinese government launched a very large and detailed search of the area looking for the beloved explorer. No sign of Peng Jiamu was ever found. Scholars familiar with the area state that they believe that he was possibly crushed by an avalanche or possibly buried alive by a freak sandstorm.

The other three options are famous Chinese artists.

Answer: Arduin was female.

Dominick Arduin was a Frenchwoman who disappeared while trying to become the first woman to ski to the geographic North Pole. This was her second attempt; the first time a rescue team had to be sent out to save her. The frostbite she incurred cost her most of her toes and part of her feet.

In 2004 she made a second attempt. Contact was lost with her within one day, and she was never seen nor heard of again. Did she freeze to death? Did she get attacked by a polar bear? Did she fall through the ice and drown? As with the others in this quiz, we will probably never know.

Answer: False

This statement mixes up two famous Antarctic explorers, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and British explorer Robert Falcon Scott. Both men competed to get to the South Pole first, and Amundsen won that competition. Sadly both men did die in this frigid hell that held them both fascinated. Scott and his party, froze to death and were found within a year of going missing. Amundsen disappeared in 1928 while flying a search-and-rescue mission for survivors of the crashed airship Italia.

He has never been found.

This image is of the "Dome at Amundsen-Scott" located at the South Pole.

Answer: The letter "L" carved into a few trees.

Ludwig Leichhardt is one of the most important Australian explorers. He is noted for his 5,000 km trip from Moreton Bay in Queensland to Port Essington on the tip of the northern coast of what is now the Northern Territory in 1845. His achievements were recognized by the Paris Geographical Society and the Royal Geographic Society.

He made two attempts to travel from Queensland to Western Australia. The first time he was forced to turn around due to illness. The second time, in 1848, Leichhardt and his party set off again to cross the abominable Outback of Australia.

He was last seen near Darling Downs and then promptly disappeared. Several search parties were sent out to look for him and his party, but the only thing they ever found was the letter "L" carved into some trees.

In the following century other artifacts have been found and studied, but historians do not agree on what happened to this intrepid explorer or his men. This image shows the Greek letter Lambda which became the letter "L", as we know it today.

Answer: True

On June 8, 1924 Andrew "Sandy" Irvine and his climbing partner George Mallory went missing while attempting to be the first to climb the formidable Mount Everest. They were seen near the summit of the mountain, but there has never been any proof as to whether or not they made it, as they both disappeared.

It was not until 1999 that Mallory's body was found, and just where Irvine is, may never be answered. Did they make it to the top? Were they the first to climb Mt. Everest? We will probably never know; the only thing that most experts agree about is that there was a fall, whether this was going up or coming down is just a matter of conjecture.

Answer: Japan

In 1984, Japanese explorer Naomi Uemura disappeared while climbing Denali (Mt. McKinley). He was known as being the first man to reach the North pole solo, raft the Amazon solo, and climb Denali solo. When he disappeared, rescue efforts were delayed due to weather and the fact that he was so skilled.

Some of his equipment and a diary were found, but his body was never located. What exactly happened to Naomi Uemura? Will he ever be found? We may never know.