On December 4, 1872, an American commerce ship named the Mary Celeste was discovered drifting and abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. The Dei Gratia, a Canadian ship, spotted the ship, and when the crew boarded it they learned that it was deserted. The lifeboat was missing, the ship's cargo and supplies were unharmed, and there were no indications of a struggle or malicious intent. For more than a century, historians, researchers, and theorists have been baffled by the enigma surrounding the Mary Celeste.

From New York to Genoa, Italy, the Mary Celeste was transporting a cargo of industrial alcohol. Benjamin Briggs, the ship's captain, was an experienced sailor who had brought his wife and little daughter on the trip. On November 25, 1872, the ship was last seen by another ship around 400 miles east of the Azores.

Although there was no proof of a leak or fire, one idea holds that the crew abandoned the ship because of one. The crew was allegedly attacked by pirates or a gigantic octopus, according to a different theory, although there were no signs of a struggle or hull damage on the ship. Some theory that the crew lost their bearings as a result of a natural occurrence, like a water spout or an abrupt shift in the weather, but once again, there is no hard evidence to back up this claim.

Numerous alternative hypotheses, such as mutiny, alcohol poisoning, and even alien abduction, have been put out over the years. The Mary Celeste mystery has not been solved in spite of in-depth research and several theories.

There were eight additional crew members on board the Mary Celeste in addition to Captain Benjamin Briggs, Sarah, and Sophia, their two-year-old daughter. Before taking over leadership of the Mary Celeste, Captain Briggs, an experienced sailor, held command of a number of other ships. He had a reputation as a cautious, responsible skipper.

Sarah and Sophia Briggs were the only women on board the ship. Sarah was described as a devoted wife and mother, while Sophia was a lively and curious toddler.

Before joining the Mary Celeste, each crew member had already served on another ship and was an experienced sailor. Before the ship was discovered abandoned, there were no signs of any issues or disagreements among the crew, who were known to be dependable and diligent.

The mystery surrounding the Mary Celeste continues to intrigue historians, researchers, and admirers of maritime history to this day.