A look back at local, national and world events in the Deseret News archives.

On November 24, 1971, a hijacker who called himself “Dan Cooper” – but soon became popularly known as “DB Cooper” – parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after demanding a ransom received $200,000.

His fate remains unknown and his disappearance remains one of the most famous unsolved cases in FBI history.

The Deseret News noticed the kidnapping on Thanksgiving Day and followed the case for many days. Amazingly, it was one of two plane hijackings this week in the western United States

“Kidnapper escapes; “2 slides missing,” was the headline on November 25th.

“RENO, Nev. – A hijacker appears to have parachuted to freedom from a seized passenger plane after using a bomb threat to extort $200,000 from North Airlines, authorities say.”

Over the years, the case has heated up and cooled down in the search for Cooper.

Was he a Provo man named Richard Floyd McCoy who hijacked a Boeing 727, ransomed it for $500,000 and parachuted into Utah County on April 7, 1972?

Was he a college professor named Williams “Wolfgang” Gossett who lived and worked in Ogden for a time and told his family he was the mystery man?

In 1980, a camper found approximately $20 bills on the banks of the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. The money turned out to be part of the $200,000 ransom that Cooper had with him when he parachuted out. The notes have fetched high prices at auctions over the years.

There were reportedly 159 hijackings in American airspace between May 1961 and the end of 1972. In fact, three days after the unsolved Cooper hijacking, three wanted men hijacked a TWA flight from Phoenix and, after refueling in Florida, successfully made it to Cuba, where Fidel Castro’s men were granted asylum.

Here are numerous stories from the Deseret News archives about Cooper, his legend and other stories surrounding the case:

“After 25 years, the legend of DB Cooper lives on”

“The DB Cooper cold case is being revived”

“Was the 1972 Provo hijacker a 1971 DB Cooper? Utahn’s book says yes”

“FBI: ‘Credible lead’ emerges in DB Cooper case”

“DB Cooper’s escapade is just an unsolved US plane hijacking”

“Was DB Cooper a resident of Ogden?”

“Teacher named Cooper chose the wrong day to fly by plane”

“Auction for money from DB Cooper is coming up”

“DB Cooper’s slide may have been found.”

“DB Cooper stories still spark interest”

“DB Cooper cash sells for 120 times face value”

“Were Provoan and DB Cooper connected?”