From an RAF air marshal's vision of a future airfield to a mysterious phone in a Charlie Chaplin film, history is replete with tales that suggest time travel might be real. Here are some curious stories of supposed time travelers.
RAF Marshal's Time Slip
In 1939, RAF Air Marshal Sir Robert Victor Goddard was flying over a disused air force base in Drem, East Lothian, when he noted its rough state, with cows grazing on grass that had grown through cracks in the tarmac. After heavy rain diverted him off course, he returned toward the base to regain focus. Looking down, he saw a renovated airfield with mechanics in blue overalls and four yellow planes on the runway, including a model he had never seen before.
It was thought Goddard had experienced a time slip, as four years later the airfield was operational, with RAF training planes painted yellow instead of silver and mechanics wearing blue overalls instead of tan.
Mysterious Phones in the Past
A woman holding what appeared to be a mobile phone to her ear in the background of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 movie The Circus sparked a time travel riddle, as such devices were not commonplace until 50 years later. Similarly, a 1930s photo seemingly showed a man holding a mobile to his ear in Union Square, New York. Dutch painter Pieter de Hooch's 1670 artwork also appeared to depict a man holding an iPhone.
The Man from a Nonexistent Country
In July 1954, a man arriving at Tokyo International Airport reportedly told immigration officers his country, Taured, was between France and Spain and over 1,000 years old. The area he pointed to on a map was Andorra. Despite police arresting him and two guards outside his hotel room, the man had disappeared by the next day.
Sneaker Mystery in a 17th Century Painting
Portrait of a Boy by Dutch Master Ferdinand Bol left art fans baffled, as the 17th century child appeared to wear shoes with a famous Nike white tick. Painted over 300 years before Nike began making trainers in 1964, conspiracy theorists questioned whether the boy, thought to be Frederick Sluysken, had traveled to the future for his footwear.
Alien Abduction and Time Travel
Former US army helicopter pilot Alex Collier claims to have traveled through time after being abducted by aliens in the 1980s. He said he was kept on their spaceship for three months and given a belt to wear so they could hear his thoughts. When he returned to Earth, only 18 minutes had passed. At a 2007 talk in Japan, Alex said: "Their own day is equivalent to 31 days on our world. They thought I wasn't well because I kept having to take naps."
