D.B. Cooper Day

D.B. Cooper Day, observed on November 24, commemorates one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in American history. On November 24, 1971, a man using the name Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines flight, demanded ransom, and parachuted from the plane somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. Although investigators recovered some of the ransom money years later, Cooper’s identity and ultimate fate remain unknown.

The observance invites people to explore the enduring mystery surrounding the case, from competing theories and investigative clues to the legend that grew around the mysterious figure known publicly as D.B. Cooper. Whether enjoyed through documentaries, books, podcasts, or a conversation about famous unsolved cases, D.B. Cooper Day offers a fascinating look at how one extraordinary event became part of modern folklore.

D.B. Cooper Day is observed on **November 24**, commemorating the still-unsolved airplane hijacking that began on November 24, 1971. That afternoon, a man using the name Dan Cooper purchased a one-way ticket on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. After takeoff, he handed a flight attendant a note claiming that he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills, four parachutes, and a supply of fuel for the aircraft.

The passengers were released in Seattle after the ransom and parachutes were delivered. Cooper then ordered the crew to fly toward Mexico, but the aircraft never completed that journey. Shortly after 8 p.m., while the plane was traveling through stormy conditions over the Pacific Northwest, he lowered the rear stairs and parachuted into the night with the money. He was never conclusively identified, and neither his body nor most of the ransom was recovered. The case became widely known as the “D.B. Cooper” hijacking because newspapers mistakenly used “D.B.” instead of the hijacker’s chosen name, Dan Cooper.

The observance developed as a cultural commemoration of the mystery rather than as a government-created holiday with a documented founding organization. Its precise origin is not firmly recorded, but November 24 has become associated with the anniversary of the hijacking and with public fascination surrounding the case. Over time, interest has been sustained by books, documentaries, podcasts, fictional portrayals, investigative theories, and gatherings in the Pacific Northwest. In 2016, the FBI formally ended its active investigation, stating that available investigative resources would be better directed elsewhere, although evidence connected to the case could still be submitted.

D.B. Cooper Day reflects broader cultural interests in unsolved crimes, aviation history, and tales of audacious escape. The story has endured because it combines a precisely documented crime with an unresolved ending: Cooper’s identity, motives, fate, and the location of most of the ransom remain uncertain. On November 24, enthusiasts may revisit the historical record, discuss competing theories, or examine how journalism and popular culture transformed an unidentified hijacker into one of America’s most enduring modern legends.