Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 24, 2024.

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

On Nov. 24, 1971, a hijacker calling himself “Dan Cooper” — but who soon became popularly known as “D.B. Cooper” — parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after receiving $200,000 in ransom.

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

The Deseret News noted the hijacking on Thanksgiving Day and followed the case for many days. Amazingly, it was one of two hijackings that week in the western U.S.

“Hijacker escapes; 2 chutes missing,” read the headline on Nov. 25.

“RENO, Nev. — A hijacker apparently parachuted to freedom from a commandeered

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