A stowaway is an individual who illicitly boards a vehicle, like a ship, airplane, train, cargo truck, or bus, with the intention of traveling undetected. They typically seek free passage or aim to reach a destination without proper authorization.
1910: Stowaway Arrivals in the US
In 1910, 474 stowaways arrived in the United States.
1917: US Legislation Defines Excludable Aliens
In 1917, new legislation in the United States defined a list of excludable aliens, which included stowaways.
1947: Start of Stowaway Tracking Period
The tracking of stowaway attempts in wheel wells began in 1947.
1965: Brian Robson's Stowaway Attempt
In 1965, Brian Robson attempted to stow away by mailing himself in a crate on a flight from Melbourne, Australia to London. The flight was diverted to Los Angeles, where he was discovered after four days.
1965: Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic
The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended (The FAL Convention), defined the term "stowaway".
2003: Young Man Mails Himself to Texas
In 2003, a young man successfully mailed himself in a large box shipped on UPS planes from New York City to Texas. He survived because the box traveled in a pressurized hold of an aircraft.
September 2012: Stowaway Attempts in Wheel Wells
By September 2012, there were 96 known stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, resulting in 73 deaths and only 23 survivors.
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